DC Prime: Robins
by Prime Fiction
Summary: Part of the DC Prime Universe: Being a teenager is hard, and when you've got to compete with 3 older brothers and a father who is never pleased. For Damian Wayne life is as hard as it ever is going to be and the only way to survive in the Bat Family is to learn from your predecessors. Damian draws his distant brothers together and in order to learn and be the best Robin he can be.
1. Chapter 1

**Robins**

**Issue 1 By RoninReviews**

**Legacy Boys**

* * *

**(This story is set before the events of Red Hood and the Outlaws and after Teen Titans Go!)**

**Tomorrow 19:30 PM, Al Ghul's Assassin City**

The huge Gorilla wields his knife with deadly precision, his nimble Ape hands spin the blade left and right like a ticking clock. Time is running out. Jason only has mere hours before his blood becomes cancerous and he succumbs to Talia's poison. He arm aches, his face bruised and that # %^ing Gorilla won't stop smiling like a # ^&amp;ing creep.

Tim Drake's bullet wound isn't healing cleanly. The infected wound seeps blood as he stumbles through the dark jungle. Rain pours across his face, he tears at his wound, the pain is becoming too much to handle. The excruciating pain bleeds him. He trips over a turned up root and falls face flat in a pile of mud.

He sputters out the sloppy dirt but as he tries to get to his feet, the slippery muck pulls him down again. He tries again but fails. He aches all over, the puss from his wound sticks to his hand like tape. Suddenly, he vomits a gross pale blue concoction all over his arms and onto the mucky ground. He writhes in agony till out of the corner of his eye he sees a glimpse of white.

Through the drenched green he sees a single white feather float slowly from the ground, resting its dainty frame on a pile of muck. Tim's eyes widen, his stomach turns, he freezes with fear. It has returned. The angel of death has returned.

Dick Grayson's fists pummel once again into the face of his father, his teeth snap before his eyes, his jaw dislodges, his eye blackens. Blood spurts from his face. "NOT REAL! NOT REAL!" He cries but to no avail. No one hears but his mother who holds the sword of the Assassins in her bloodied palm and prepares to kill her son with it.

Damian's small body falls slowly, gently through the river of red. Like a meteorite through the clear night sky he makes a wish. A wish to forget the things he's seen today. A wish to un-see the murder of everything he holds dear. His ideals, his mind, his hopes and dreams all crushes in under 24 hours.

The day has flashesed past in a blaze of painful glory and now his death seems to be taking a life time. The thick blood fills his lungs. His body broken. He falls. Drowns.

* * *

**Today 10:32 AM Dicks Grayson's Gotham apartment.**

Dick is frying up breakfast for himself and Damian Wayne, son of Batman. The two are dressed casually. Damian sits cross legged on a chair behind at the dining room table clacking away at a laptop. The apartment is messy with clothes, DVDs and an assortment of Dick's possessions. The 10 o'clock morning light drifts through the open window giving the apartment glows on the walls and objects.

Dick Grayson: You know that robins are cannibals right?

Damian: As are most birds, Dick.

Dick Grayson: What I mean is that if you put us in a room together we'll eat each other.

Damian: Dick Grayson, I am the right full heir to the throne of Batman and if I am to be a successful Batman I must first become a successful Robin and there are 4 people on earth who would know anything about teaching that.

Dick: Then go to them individually not have us work together. Listen if you need help handling Bruce-

Damian: I don't want your help Grayson. I have it all planned out, each Robin has something that the others don't and each are missing something that the others do.

Dick: So it's one of those days.

Damian: What?

The omelettes sizzle away in the pan and are almost cooked, Dick reaches over to flip the bacon.

Dick: You're becoming Bruce y'know that.

Damian: Excellent, it's working already.

Dick: No, I mean, Bruce's less than... sane moments.

In one brisk movement Dick flops the omelette on to a plate each and then wraps the bacon in each omelette. He spins round and puts each plate on the table.

Damian: What are you babbling about? Bruce is sane. I checked him myself.

Dick: Well he's like... he's not... he can be harsh.

Damian: I should think so, he's training me to be the next batman, not a reality TV star.

Dick: Bruce, he's... it's hard to explain but he's not the best father. He's stubborn and, strict. Damain, I care allot about you, when we were partners you meant the world to me and I want you to know that. When I wasn't worried about me being Batman I was worried that you'd get hurt-

Damian: Silence, Dick. I... I enjoyed crusading with you, also.

The brothers enjoy their breakfast, above the darkness of the streets.

* * *

**12: 30 PM Metropolis, Burger Shack**

Jason Todd: Welcome to Burger Shack, what's the time? Burger o'clock.

The morning sun rises upon the small restaurant with cars trundling lazily by. Jason Todd is dressed in a red shirt with a silly cap with the Burger Shack logo printed on it, his name tag reads Will Isaac's. Jason's face is limp and bruised. Cheap plasters cover cuts over his nose, cheeks and chin. He doesn't care.

Jason died. None of his co workers suspect that he fought some of Gotham's darkest minds and won. They don't know that he's currently wanted for murder under the name Red Hood and that he's wanted dead by some of the most dangerous criminal organisations across the globe. No one knows what's on the other side of life other than the young man working in Burger Shack. A fat tall balding man stands at the other side of the counter. His eyes are strangely green.

Customer: Yeah get me a cheese burger with that sauce and um.

Jason: Is that as a meal or to take out?

Customer: Take out.

Jason: Take out... Would you like fries with that?

Customer: I uh... oh what am I doing?

The fat man tears of his skin to reveal a large steel body, he has a large green skull like helmet and his chest opens up to reveal a Kryptonite heart. He is Metallo. He starts making his ways for Jason but he vaults over the Goliath as he unleashes an energy blast that levels about half of the restaurants. On instinct Jason grabs a metal baseball bat from under the counter and cracks Metallo across the face with it.

Metallo is stunned but regains himself within a second. He looks back to see Jason gone. Metallo roars and starts to tear through machinery as he tramples the kitchen area. He sees the door of the store cupboard swing a little, he slowly makes his way for it. As his foot reaches store cupboard he notices the ground in covered in oily grease. A bullet soars out of nowhere and a large explosive ensues covering Metallo in heavy amounts of cooking oil and throwing him out of the restaurant and onto the street.

Cars to swerving away from him. Small flames hang to the side of his damaged metallic body. He stands to his full size stars smacking cars out of his way to reach the now flaming Burger Shack restaurant. Metallo powers up his hand cannon to fire into the rubble of the burning restaurant only for him to suddenly hear a low rumbling sound. Out of the flames and wreckage leaps a mechanical stallion ridden by Jason Todd now wearing his Red Hood Helmet and Jacket.

The bike hits Metallo over the face as it rides away from the destruction. Metallo turns ready to fire his hand cannon at Jason only for him to turn around and fire a bullet at Metallo causing another explosion due to the cooking oil his body is doused in. Whilst the huge robot is blinded, Jason takes his opportunity to leave. He reaches for his Phone and quickly taps in a number as he speeds along the road.

Jason: Hi. Tim, its Jay. Can I get a lift?

* * *

**15:33 PM Vancouver, Canada**

Jason: and that's how I escaped my 3rd assassination attempt.

Tim Drake: Pretty sweet Jay. You thinkin' of taking up Bruce's offer then?

Jason: Nah. I don't really want to see him ever again. I don't really want any more of that life.

Tim: Then what type of life do you want?

Jason: I don't know. I've let way to much of my life just happen to me. I need to start making my own decisions, be my own person. I can't go back to being part of Bruce's club house. I can't just bum around any longer. I need to do something. I was hoping Metropolis would be a good place to start but y'know.

Tim and Jason sit on a comfy couch in the messy back stage lounge to the concert, each are smoking joints. Tim's band members lounge around eating pizza or playing Flappy Bird. The strumming of electric guitars can be heard muffled but still potent from the stage.

Tim: C'mon tour with us then.

Jason: Ah no man.

Tim: Seriously. We could use some extra help around here. Security or whatever. I can't be on guard 100% of the time. Hang out for a couple of weeks. It'll be fun.

Jason (Takes a drag): Seriously? Alright.

Tim: Great. This'll really help man. Balancing stuff like the Titans and Batman stuff with touring is becoming a really hassle.

Jason: I think you're on.

Tim: Mhm.

Tim puts out his joint in an ash tray and reaches for his guitar. His band begin to rise from their seats.

Tim: C'mon gang. Let's melt some faces.

* * *

**19:07 PM Base Book, The Internet**

Damian pops up on the Robins Base Book chat group.

Damian: Brothers. It has come to my attention that because of our current departure from each other that it could be beneficial to each other if when faced with a threat that one of us cannot handle alone, and do not wish my Father to be aware of, that we could potentially help each other fix that problem, together as brothers of Justice.

5 minutes later Tim replies.

Tim: You're joking right?

Damian: I am not, Drake. Are you to tell me that you have never done anything that you wouldn't want my father or any of the other Heroes to be aware of?

Tim: No but I mean us, working together? I can't remember the last time we've been in a room together and not ended up at each other's throats.

Dick Grayson finishes his battle with a group of Gorilla Assassins in Bludhaven and joins the chat.

Dick: That's what I said but I genuinely think this is a good idea. It'll give us a chance to bond more. I think this is important.

Jason: Yeah. Lets do it.

Damian: Wow Jason really?

Jason: Yes. I've actually got something I need help with.

Dick: Wow.

Tim: Yeah.

Jason: Shut up alright. Yeah I'm asking for help.

Dick: If you need help why didn't you tell us earlier Jay?

Jason: Why do you think? I don't want Bruce getting involved.

Tim: What do you need help with?

Jason: They've been hunting me down for the past few months since I escaped their control with you guys help.

We need to go to the head of the Demon. And cuts its goddamn tongue out.

* * *

**Next Issue: Assassins. What happens... tomorrow?**


	2. Chapter 2

**Robins Issue 2**

**Legacy Boys Part 2**

**By RoninReviews**

* * *

"The Fang That Protects The Head."

Damian Wayne hates Gotham City. He hates the smell of the rotting flesh and overflowing gutters. He hates the pollution that rises from the city every day and hangs in the sky like a horrid blanket. He hates the rats that roam the streets and he hates the gangs that roam the streets even more. He hates the fried crap being served up every day by scurvy stricken street vendors and most of all he hates the poor. They wallow in their own filth like pigs in a sty and eventually eat or murder or rape or steal from each other. The life expectancy rate in Gotham City is 30 years old; Damian wishes it were lower.

Damian glares out of the blacked out window of his father's 3rd Limo on his way home from school watching the perpetually drunk teens waddle the streets with smiles on their faces whilst wishing they were dead.

Is this better than what life was before? Living in a state of fear and trying not to show it at all times. Living in fear of his mother and trying his hardest to impress her and live up to her monumentally high expectations. Training every single day, felling nothing but pain, fear, and disappointment for 10 years. Is that better than this? No; but he still hates Gotham City. One day he will become the Batman and he will rid the City of scum by any means necessary, never mind the cost, never mind the pain, never mind the fear...

Gotham City, Midnight

Dick Grayson dressed in his Nightwing suit, cracks his Escrima stick across the face of a large well-fed hood. The beast feels the full force of the blow as tiny slivers of lightening bounce across the stick as it makes contact. The kinetic energy held in the stick is then thrown into the face of another well deserving crook, who's nose is broken as well as most of his teeth being snapped in two; it feels like gravel in his mouth. Dick's is then stomped down on the face of another crook, who makes a rather clumsy stab at the athletic ninja before being punished for his lack of basic combat training.

They have been taught well by a master but will learn nothing. In a brisk flip kick snap movement Dick uses the nylon grappling rope, inside his Escrima sticks, to wrap up each of his enemies ankles. Before they can retaliate, Dick is already at the top of a street lamp and is pulling the group up. Once at the top he ties up the Escrima sticks in a Snapdragon Knot and leaves them for the Police. He arrives at the top of a nearby building to see a kid dressed in a Halloween Robin outfit. The kid can't be older than 13 and with an acne-ridden face, curly ginger hair and his costume not even fitting properly; he holds a duffle bag over his shoulder.

"Uhh… can I help you?" Nightwing asks bewildered by the situation.

"I'm actually here to, uh, help you sir," The kid replies. "Sorry for being late, it's my first night."

"Your first night?" Nightwing asks even more bewildered this time.

"Yeah, I'm a Robin."

"_You're_ a Robin?"

"You don't know about this?" The kid asks.

"No? Is this a joke? Is this going on the internet or something?"

"I can assure you it's not. I'm part of the Robins Organisation set up by... I guess Batman, we operate on call and are available as allies to Batman or his allies to give assistance." The kid speaks with a strange amount of confidence; he's been trained to do this.

"So it's a joke then?"

"It's really not."

"Whom do you report to?"

"To be honest, I've never actually met an actual Robin before, I got a text message saying there is a someone that may need assistance at the top of my building so... here we are."

"Who texted you?" Nightwing's tone has become more serious as he has taken a taller stance than before.

"It's a withheld number but the sender id name is RR."

"Oh for god sake!" Nightwing exclaims.

"Wha-"

"How long have you been a 'Robin'?" Dick uses the sarcastic phonetics when saying the word "Robin."

"Uh, like 3 weeks. My friend Tyler told me about it and I wanted to join."

"Urgh... you are so dead, Tim." Nightwing whispers angrily.

"So... can I give you any assistance?"

"What's in the bag?"

The kid opens the bag revealing a first aid kit, protein bars, assorted fruit, 3 bottles of water, a ham sandwich, a tetanus shot, a defibrillator and a winter coat.

"Alright, go back to bed, quit this whole thing you're doing with the Robins and stuff and gimme that bottle of water and the ham sandwich. If I ever catch you doing this again, I will..." Dick wags his finger at the kid

"Arrest me?"

"I- no..."

"What I'm doing isn't illegal."

"You're assisting a masked vigilante."

"You **are** a vigilante."

"You could get hurt." Nightwing is getting aggravated.

"So could you," The kid replies.

"I'm an adult with training!" Nightwing erupts.

"What the hell are you doing, Nightwing?" A voice enters the scene causing both Nightwing and the kid to spin around abruptly. They see 11-year-old Damian Wayne strut across the rooftop towards the two.

"Dam- Robin?! What're you doing here?" Nightwing exclaims.

"You're late to our meeting," Damian replies.

"Wait, let me get this straight," The kid interrupts. "You just recognised him as a Robin and yet he is obviously way younger than me."

"..." Nightwing's eye twitches slightly in anger.

"So I am a Robin then—urk." The kid pridefully grins at Nightwing till he is hit in the neck with a tranquilizer dart. Nightwing turns to see Damian holding a blow dart between his lips.

"... What? He was getting annoying." Damian says obviously.

"Let's just get going."Nightwing grumbles.

Elsewhere in Gotham City

Tim Drake (Red Robin), Jason Todd (Red Hood) laze around on a rooftop till Dick and Damian arrive swinging onto the rooftop silently.

"What took you guys so long?" Tim asks.

"Hey! You! We need to talk about this!" Nightwing shouts at Tim.

"Whoa, whoa, hold your horses," Tim says. "Do you have The Talking Bat-a-rang?"

"The what?!" Nightwing asks once again completely bewildered.

"The Talking Bat-a-rang." Tim holds up a Bat-a-rang. "I hold the Talking Bat-a-rang, so I get to talk."

"You've got to be kidding me!"

"That's the rules. Anyway, Jason is giving out the first mission so he gets the Bat-a-rang now." Tim passes The Talking Bat-a-rang over to Jason.

"Since returning from the grave, 3 years ago, I was under Talia Al Ghul's control as her assassin and after Batman and you guys broke me out, I have been on the run from her assassins across the globe. Wherever I go I'm followed.

I've been able to hold them off until now since the attack in Metropolis I can't take it anymore. She's becoming more ruthless, and more and more civilians are getting caught in the crossfire. We need to find her and put a stop to this. She is only going to come back to attack us again and again and Bruce is going to do nothing to stop it. I'm going to kill her for what she did to me. I can't keep running. I've been running for too goddamn long."

"You are not going to kill my mother. If anyone is going to kill my Mother it will be my Father."

"That's not going to happen." Jason snaps

"Then it shall be me."

"I'm out then," Nightwing states. "I'm not going to murder anyone or be involved in murder."

"Ditto." Tim replies.

"It'd actually be worse if we were to tear her empire away from her. Take the entire thing down around her head. That for her is a way worse punishment than death," Damian says.

"But how on Earth are we going to pull this off. We'll need an army. We don't even know where she is. We don't even know where Nandaparbat is."

"I do," Damian says. "She'll let me in and then we take it all from her! Oh this is so much fun." Damian grins from ear to ear.

"We can't just hand you over to her," Tim replies.

"Aww you worried about me, Drake?"

"No, but then what? She lets you in then what's going to happen?"

"You get captured."

2 Hours later, Belle Reve

Dressed in his old Police uniform from his time as a Cop in Bludhaven, Dick Grayson reaches the door to the huge monolith like prison after passing through each of 13 checkpoints on the way in. His story; he is there to question the prisoner known as John Corben a.k.a Metallo for his involvement with the Red Hood, an assassin Detective Grayson has had experience with.

Tim and Damian have been hacking the prisons' systems from external devices allowing Dick to easily enter the prison without any trouble.

Dick enters the interrogation room, huge and expansive with a huge rotating door on the roof facing diagonally to the room. Dick sits at a small table in the middle of the room and waits. Five minutes later he hears a loud whirring and the huge revolving door on the diagonal ceiling rotates to reveal Metallo who is attached to massive arm and leg braces, his Kryptonite core has been taken away.

"Hello, John," Dick asks calmly. "I'm here to ask some questions about your employer."

"I am Metallo," Metallo grumbles in his mechanical tones. "Call me Metallo."

"Very well, Metallo, I'd like to ask who you where ordered by to assassinate the Red Hood by?" Dick asks.

"I don' know. I found the Money in my apartment and I was told I'd get the rest after the assassination. I met with a guy outside of Metropolis in a bar who gave me the parts I needed for my... current upgrade."

"What did he look like?"

"I didn't really get to see his face; wore a hat and long coat, has white hard skin, talked like a comic book super villain. Rather extravagant. Had a Japanese accent. Didn't tell me his name other than he represented the League of Assassins. Definitely insane; gave me the parts and then drove off in one of them real old Rolls Royce."

"Do you have any way to contact him?"

"No."

After half an hour of questioning Dick Grayson leaves the room. He hands over the information he's gathered to the prison guards whom in turn hand it to the Police force. All the Robins re group in a Burger Shack, (a different one) to the description of Metallo's informant. Damian is tossing aside the jalapeños from his burger decisively. Dick is reading the local newspaper and Jason rolling a cigarette.

"Urgh, I'm getting terrible signal here." Tim sighs.

"Really? That's odd," said Dick. "You're using the newest mode of Wayne tech device next to a heavily populated city."

"Yeah it's like something is messing with my signal. Weird, huh? I do hope it's not some weird super villain threat that is somehow connected to our current mission thingy," Tim says sarcastically.

"That'd be inconvenient, huh?" Jason replies, continuing the joke.

"My, I wonder if it could be coming from somewhere in this restaurant," Dick continues.

"Could it be that gentleman in the large trench coat at that table?" Damian points at a man in a long trench coat sitting in the corner of the room.

The man cautiously looks up to see the Robins all-looking at him.

"Oh no..." the man whispers.

Outside Burger Shack

Damian throws the old man to the ground, through the back doors of the Restaurant. He collapses in a pile of dirt and looks up to see Damian cracking his knuckles surrounded by the rest of the Robins. The man is about mid 50s with a greying rescinding hairline and prominent cheekbones. His skinny frame makes for an easy throw.

"Talk while you still can," Damian orders.

"Jeeze, was that the best you had?" Jason cringes as he lights his cigarette.

"I'll talk, ok? I just needed to get your attention. You didn't have to throw me ok?" The man whimpers. "Now it's all ruined."

"Why? What's ruined?" Dick asks.

"I was trying to warn you. I had to block the signal to make sure that the wire they had on me wasn't going to pick me up trying to talk to you guys."

Jason reaches into his trench coat and shouts in a stereotypically Italian accent, "Eyh! Dis guy's wearin a wiah!"

"Shhhhh!" The man stammers glancing around in a paranoid frenzy. "They'll be onto me now and you. I was going to ask you guys that if you're going after the Assassins, try and get my daughter back.

She's been taken in and used as a hostage to keep me in line. I used to work for the MPD and I'm their primary informant in the Metropolis area." He pulls picture out of his trench coat and shows it to them. The picture is of a young girl dressed in a white dress at a wedding. "She has blonde hair with a white strike through it. If you see her get her out of their, her name is Sophie To-"

The man is suddenly cut off as his head explodes spraying brain all over the Robins. The Robins yell horrified except for Damian.

"No Japanese accent or hard white skin. It wasn't him," Damian says monotone while the Robins freak out about the brains all over their clothes. He crouches down and looks over the dead body. In the pile of grey matter he spies a tiny glint of metal. He reaches down and picks out a shard of a bullet.

"Sniper bullet. Possibly fired from an MP9 or a Military grade Rifle .943" Hit from a high altitude, possibly shot from directly ...up" Damian looks up to see a helicopter in the sky. After a second of watching he sees ropes being thrown from the side of the copter and men sliding down them.

"Incoming!" Damian yells as a barrage of gunfire starts crackling across the ground. The Robins scramble for cover when a grenade plops down next to them. They scatter again but most don't avoid the flash bag. Hazy the Robins try to keep moving whilst having their frontal lobes feeling like a volcanic eruption. Damian reaches the car park of the restaurant when he sees him.

The harbinger of death, the mercenary of the afterlife, the eternal dark, the sweetest kiss goodnight, the gracious, Lord Death Man. He strides forwards followed by an entourage of deadly assassins in his new gleaming white suit a .45 in each hand and a smirk across his skull face. His new dragon tattoos on his arms looks freaking awesome and so do his new leather gloves. God, he's such a cool guy. He's got like a pipe sticking out of his mouth, and yeah. He's just an all around badass basically. The Robins are totally screwed.

Lord Death Man closes the tomb like book and turns to you, the audience.

* * *

**"That's all for this week children, return to your lives but make sure you return next week to see how Lord Death Man strikes at the heart of the Bat-Family, The prodigal sons, The Robins. There's also some stuff with the League of Assassins, but it's mainly about Lord Death Man. Bwhahahahahahahahahhaaaahahaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!"**


	3. Chapter 3

**Robins Issue 3**

**Legacy Boys Part 3 - Forged in Blood**

**By RoninReviews**

* * *

Bound, bleeding and kneeling on the white marble floor, Dick Grayson, Jason Todd and Tim Drake all are beaten and bruised, their bare chests home the few rays of light that cascade upon them from the darkness. A mad paint brush flicker of scars across their bodies reveal a patchwork of pain and agony. Dick Grayson bites his lip hard as he slowly lifts his head up into the glaring light, towards his captors. He tries to make eye contact but there seems to be no eyes there anymore, blind to what he used to be, blind to who he is. Damian Wayne is no longer the Son of Batman, no longer the Boy Wonder.

He is Damian Al Ghul, Son of The Demon, The Prince of Assassins and he is about to fulfil his destiny and kill his Brothers and found a new Rome, a new Eden that must be forged in blood.

His Mother is so proud.

Lord Death Man is a bastard. No one likes him in the League of Assassins. Bronze Tiger hates the poison laced perfume he insists on wearing. Alpha hates the way he laughs at horror movies. Lady Shiva hates his taste in 15th Centaury swords and David Cane just hates everyone.

They're all hoping Lord Death Man gets his face stomped in but they know. They know he's going to take down the Robins and roll up into Nanda Parbat with a huge grin under his creepy mask and a spring in his step. They also know the Robins aren't going down without a fight.

* * *

**Outside Burger Shack, Metropolis**

A video game screen pulls up and a point rolls over each of the playable character, Nightwing, Red Hood, Red Robin and Robin. Robin is the only available character at the moment so he is selected automatically. The screen R wipes to a 8 bit format where a Damian Wayne stand holding his fists up. This level's boss Lord Death Man stands before Damian while surrounded by his Ninja henchmen. A bar comes across the top of the screen and Lord Death Man's dialogue begins to type itself out.

LORD DEATH MAN: BWHAHAHAHA. I AM EVIL. BATTLE MY HENCHMEN FIRST FOR WHATEVER REASON EVEN THOUGH I AM MORE POWERFUL THAN THEY ARE AND SHOULD PROBABLY JUST FIGHT YOU KNOW. BWAHAHA.

Lord Death Man's character leaps out of the way as the digital 8 Bit action sound track begins to play. The Henchmen begin to close in but Damian's sprite leaps into the air and does a double X aerial attack that stuns two of the henchmen, little white birds circle their heads, obviously. While stunned Damian unleashes a few light attacks to weaken them slightly and then moves onto the other Henchmen which he uses his longer ranged and more powerful attack, the Staff Swipe.

He knocks both henchmen back to the edge of the screen with this attack and proceeds to do the same Staff Swipe attack on the other two henchmen which manages to them vanish and produce small hearts. Damian is the struck down by a henchman hitting Damian with his Katana depleting one of his lives. Damian quickly recovers from the attack and jumps over to the heart absorbing it replenishing his health by one point.

Damian fights through 3 waves of enemies before Lord Death Man returns to the screen. His dialogue box starts again.

LORD DEATH MAN: NOW! FACE ME BOY WONDER!

The Boss music starts playing and Damian is about to go for his shuriken attack when he hears a loud gunshot ring through the air and Lord Death Man fall to his knees.

"Jason!" Dick cries. "What the hell?!"

"Oh calm down Drama Dick. Do you even know anything about this guy? His whole deal is that he regenerates and comes back from the death." Jason snarks.

"Yeah well you can't just go around shooting off guns like a mad man!" Dick shouts. "It's not part of the code!"

"Can we just remember you had no problem with Bruce murdering those Talons in cold blood because they weren't alive and could heal? Same exact deal with this guy!" Jason yells and points to the Lord Death Man.

"Uh why didn't you help me during that fight back there?" Damian asks. The Robins all turn to look at each other.

"I dunno. We didn't want to spoil your fun." Dick shrugs. "You were doing fine."

"Tt, Good point. I was and I would have." Damian replies.

* * *

**Nanda Parbat**

Alpha, Bronze Tiger, Shrike and Lady Shiva watch the battle take place on a monitor in the underground city of Nanda Parbat on a large monitor transmitting from a nearby security camera.

"Wow I did not see that coming." Alpha jokes.

"Todd was trained to be an efficient killer by us Alpha, do not be surprised by his, how you say, trigger happy?" Bronze Tiger snarls. He turns around to face the darkness behind them.

"My lady, The Robins has evaded capture, what's our next move?" Bronze Tiger asks.

Out of the darkness steps Talia Al Ghul, she glares at the computer screen and licks her lips before saying.

"Let him see the light. Let him see the Gorgon."

* * *

**Metropolis, Burger Shack**

The shriek of Police sirens can be heard from blocks away.

"Cops, let's get out of here." says Jason.

The Robins begin to head for the car park when a Ninja lurches forwards and grabs Damian by the leg.

"Hey get off me!" Damian shouts.

"See the Light of the Gorgon eye!" The Ninja splutters before collapsing again. Those words stop Damian right in his tracks and he stands stock still.

Noticing Damian isn't with them Dick turns back to call for Damian.

"Hey Damian, what're you doing? C'mon we gotta go!"

"The Eye of the Gorgon." Damian says in a completely monotone.

"What're you talking about Damian? We gotta go!"

Damian quickly reaches for his pocket and retrieves a small blow dart holder; he then blows out 3 that stick into each of the Robins' necks, causing them to quickly spaz out before collapsing to the floor.

"A New Eden Forged in Blood."

* * *

**6 Years ago, League of Assassins Tokyo Headquarters, Tokyo, Japan**

Damian Wayne's katana spangs against another as his Mother's ninja descend upon him in a hoard of attacks. 5 Years old his skills as a fighter already surpass those of many adults who have trained for years.

He summersaults backwards out of the way of a killing blow. He kicks the jaw out of a Ninja closing in behind him splattering teeth and blood across the room. He swivels around on the ball of his foot and swipes his sword across the feet of the Ninja knocking him to the ground and slicing through a lot of bone and muscle tissue as he does.

A barrage of strikes and swipes descend upon him from another Ninja who seems to be driven in a focused deadly rage. Damian blocks every blow connecting at every point and making enough room for himself, the Ninja becomes quickly exhausted allowing for Damian to cut his hand off.

The Ninja falls to the floor, the others are hesitant to return to the battle as Damian stands there with blood down his little white Kimono.

The battle is about to resume when he hears a low clapping sound coming from the hallway. Talia Al Ghul enters the room.

"Well done my child. You're improving by the day. You're father would be so proud." She praises.

Damian kneels down before his Mother and holds his katana out towards his Mother as a sign of respect.

"Rise Damian."

He gets to his feet and looks up into his Mother's eyes.

"Mother. I must ask. When will I meet my Father? You speak of him like some sort of deity that I must strive to be like."

"You are not just going to meet your Father Damian. You are going to kill him. That is your final trial of to join the League."

"Kill my Father? But you speak so highly of him and what're these trials you speak of?"

"The Trails first, talk of your father will come later. The Trials are what all Assassins must go through to become a fully fledged member of the League. At the end of the Trials the Assassin must kill their own Father or Mother or loved one to prove their full devotion."

"And all Assassins must do this?"

"All. Every One. The final threshold you must pass to achieve your full potential."

"Who did you kill to join the League?"

"Don't ask silly questions my Son. I killed my Mother."

Damian looks at her shocked.

"It had to be done Damian. Just like you will have to kill your Father."

"But you speak so highly of my Father why have me kill him? Why not persuade him to join us? Why can't we live together?" Damian asks.

Talia bends down and puts her hands on Damian's face.

"Because, Damian, a true warrior must be Forged in Blood."

She gets up and goes to leave the room.

"Your Trials will start soon, Damian. Train hard or you will fail."

Damian looks to the Ninjas as he hears the door to the training room close. The battle resumes.

* * *

**Nanda Parbat, Now**

Talia walks through a large tower followed by Lady Shiva who walks along beside her.

"I'm glad you've returned to us Miss Shiva. Your skills have always been of the highest calibre but I am surprised you have decided to join our ranks once again."

"The League are my family Miss Ghul. I just needed time away."

"Time away from him?"

Talia signals to the shooting range that David Cane is currently in. He is blasting holes in various different targets at once one handed, he seems to realise they're watching him even with the loud gun shots and with his earmuffs on. He turns his head and grins at Shiva. Shocked she quickly turns away.

"No, this has nothing to do with him." Shiva insists.

"Very well. We must go. The Trials are about to start."

Talia and Shiva walk through a door out into a large balcony, looking down on a stadium type grounds with a huge circle of fire all around the circular stadium.

Two young men stand naked before the League of Assassins, both Japanese the identical twins are judged by Talia and her highest regarded Assassins. They look down upon the men from a large balcony in a Tower made of encrusted gold.

After a few short moments Talia stands and signals to the crowd watching the two men to be silenced. Hundereds of Assassins from around the world have gathered here today to watch two of the most worthy new talents in the Assassin world be granted membership to the League of Assassins. The Ceremony of the Aincent Trails are about to begin when Talia gets a phone call. She turns from the balcony to take the call.

"Yes? Who is it?" She asks.

"My Lady. The Robins have been captured. Damian has taken the psychic suggestion and taken down the rest of the Robins. We're transporting them to you know."

"Excellent." Talia smirks as she hangs up the phone call. The returns to the balcony and signals to the crowd again.

"My children. Today this ceremony has been made all the more special as I have just gained news of the return of my Son."

The crowd cheers in joy.

"And he is bringing with him 3 worthy opponents, who shall join Jao Plaz and Nao Plaz in their Trials. We shall resume the Trials in 3 hours. The Sons of Batman shall be ours my faithful. Today is our day. The day will be forged in blood." She announces this and the crowd goes wild, chanting, FORGED IN BLOOD over and over again. Talia smiles.

* * *

**Next Issue: The Trials Begin! Damian Wayne, Prince of Assassins?!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Robins Issue 4****  
****Legacy Boys Part 4****  
****By RoninReviews**

* * *

The Trials of the League is treacherous and impossibly difficult even for the keenest warrior. It's sharpens every part of you to a fine point, if you survive it.

No one follows the same trial as the last person. It is different for everyone but always leaves the League of Assassins with two out comes, a dead person or a loyal warrior ready to serve the League. Only twice there has been an exception: Bruce Wayne and today, Dick Grayson. Never has there been another.

Dick leans in the dark, the water mulling around his kneecaps, he's let it slide. The chain he is cuffed to is also attached to a heavy brick, pulling him down into the water. He has to hold himself and the brick up or else he'll drown. This is a torture technique outlawed at the end of the Ming Dynasty due to its affect on human tendons. Those who don't die of stress are usually not able to walk or use muscles after due to the tearing of their tendons. The average time a person can be in the Sinking Vault before suffering irreparable damage is 12 hours. Dick Grayson has been there for 11.

* * *

**Now**  
Dick Grayson, Jason Todd and Tim Drake stand before the precipice of a large dark hole. Cheers and shouts are heard from the crowd with, "SONS OF THE BAT", being chanted over and over. Each of the Robins stands bare chested looking into the abyss.

"Well then," Jason mumbles.

"Yep," Tim replies.

"Yeah well, um… yeah," Dick attempts.

An ancient robed man wearing black bandages over his eyes enters the floor standing before the crowd. Talia watches with a Royal approval over her face. The old man raises his hands to persuade the crowd to calm down. He begins to speak in a low croaky voice.

"Ras Al Ghul did not die for nothing, brother and sisters," exclaimed the old man. "Ra's Al Ghul died for the new age that he fought so very hard for. But was struck down by his student, the one known as Bruce Wayne, the Dark Knight of America."

The crowd boo and hiss aggressively.

"But today is not a day of revenge or hatred," the old man continued. "Today is a day of... forgiveness. Before you stand the sons of our greatest nemesis ready and waiting to be taken into our Guild, into our fold. Each of them is ready to start a new as brothers and sisters of the League of Assassins. They are to be taken and forged in the fires of our sacred trials and reborn. We are a powerful people, but also a benevolent one. We take our enemies and forge them into allies."

The crowd cheer. Aggressively.

"Hoo boy," Tim murmurs.

"Yep," Dick replies.

"I wonder what Damian's doing. How come he doesn't have to do this #*&amp;%?" Jason grunts.

"Because he's Talia's son, idiot? You think she'd let her, 'New Alexander' be straight up murdered?" Tim hisses.

"Oh yeah. I forgot! Silly me! Duh!" Jason sarcastically replies.

WHAM! THACK! THAM! KRACK! Back and forth across his soft face, like a lead paintbrush that only uses deep purple and red. His face crumpled up like a scrunched up bag of crisps and without the valour, Damian Wayne, bleeds from his eyes, nose, mouth and ears, like a river.

The Heretic stands before him, ever the nightmare of Damian's existence, a walking symbol of everything wrong in his life, a Macabre Frankenstein Brother. The thin paintbrush voice of a calm river enters the room like a shiv being plunged into an inmate's arteries.

"That'll be all, Son."

The Heretic lumbers off as Talia walks over to her son. She presses her hand against his bruised face.

"I do apologise for that, my son. It just needed to have you rattled a little before we start your inauguration as my Loyal Son again. The Bat has filled your head with silly things and I want them out my darling."

Damian strains to open his mouth but can't make a sound. Talia turns to see the robed old man entering the room.

"High Priest Mazham, please attend to my son. His mind is infected."

The board that Damian is chained to moves down so he is now lying flat on his back. The Priest shuffles over to a cupboard filled with old bottles and jars. He takes one that has a strange looking butterfly in it and puts it on a desk. He daintily takes the lid off and slowly puts his hand inside. Instead of flying away the butterfly stops and slowly crawls onto the Priest's hand, across his pointy nails and bony fingers.

He takes the butterfly over to Damian. He sprinkles a golden powder over Damian's face, which he winces at and tries to move his neck in protest, but can barely find the strength. Suddenly the Priest takes Damian by the lower jaw and yanks it open; Damian lets out a shrill noise as the butterfly flies into his mouth and down his throat. He can feel it all

The way

Down.

Lady Shiva knives rattle up the side of the over turned table as shielding David Cain from death. He holds the table up with both hands as it is about to come clattering down on him. He hears nothing for a second except the clattering of bowls and dishes before SNAK! Right through the table comes an excellently placed blow from a Dadao sword, nearly missing Cain's rib cage.

He takes the opportunity. He lunges forwards and throws the table to the ground hoping to crush Shiva with the sudden attack. SLAM! The table falls and David is temporarily stunned by the force of the fall. He gets up quickly only to see Lady Shiva coming straight at him with her Dadao raised above her head. David is quick and goes for his guns, he just gets her in his sights before- SWING! BLAM! BLAM! SNIK SNINK!

Lady Shiva walks out of the room, cleaning blood off her sword as she goes.

"This ends tonight."

The Robins stand on the precise looking to the abyss. The crowds chant louder and louder. Talia Al Ghul enters the scene from her balcony and with a swift movement lights a match across the side of a stone and drops it onto a large torch to signify the start of the trials.

"Okay, so now what?" Tim asks.

"I uh..." Dick murmurs.

"I think we need to jump," Jason replies.

The crowd begin to shout, "JUMP! JUMP! JUMP!" over and over again.

"Okay then. Have you guys figured out an escape plan yet?"

"Uh… no," Tim replies.

"Nah. I wanna see what's down there," Jason says.

"Alright then," Dick says.

The Robins each take a few steps back before leaping into the deep chasm of darkness.

* * *

**NEXT: THE TRAILS OF THE ASSASIN. LADY SHIVA VS THE LEAGUE OF ASSASSINS. DAMIAN AL GHUL!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Robins Issue 5  
Legacy Boys Part 5  
Written by James Brady**

* * *

Tim dives deep into the darkness of the catacombs of Nandaparbat. He is dressed in linen trousers with only a few metres of rope tied around his waist and a small knife. After a few seconds of falling he seeing a sea of dark green come into sight, which seems to make up a large jungle canopy. He turns in mid-air so he's falling feet first.

His bare feet skeet over the tops of the beaches and huge Palm leaves slowing his fall till he manages to grasp a branch to hold onto. The branch instantly begins to bend over under his weight and he's slowly lowered down on to the- Surgery Room?!

Jason dives deep into the darkness of the catacombs of Nandaparbat. Also dressed in linen trousers, he falls like pebble through the thick fog of the caves. Through the darkness, he sees a flash of pink growing nearer and nearer. He suddenly realised that before him is a bouncy castle.

"Why not..." Jason thinks to himself.

He balls up and hits the big pink bouncy castle with a Sloomp!-Sound and jumps down. He gets to his feet and takes in his surroundings, a large coliseum and with the crowds filled with gorillas. They all gnash their teeth and pound their chests at the arrival of the new contender. A large gorilla wearing an Armani suit swinging a butterfly knife casually enters the arena. Guard Gorillas help him take his suit jacket off as he walks over to Todd.

"So it's one of those days," Todd grumbles to himself.

Dick Grayson dives deep into the catacombs of Nandaparbat. He feels the air rushing past him hitting hard against his reddened cheeks. He hears what at first sounds like a hundred nails scraping across double glazing when he sees the flashing lights of the huge Lighting rigs, and the bright red and yellows and oranges and greens of the Circus? He tries to take in his surroundings all at once when he realises he's still falling. Suddenly he hears a familiar loud voice callout to him through the screaming of the crowds.

"Here Dickie! Catch!"

Dick suddenly realises a colourful trapeze bar is being thrown towards him. He catches it and in a rush of air feels his body being lifted up into the air as he comes to a landing pad on the other side of the trapeze. He instinctively does a flip and lands perfectly onto the trapeze and gets to his feet as the crowd call out, GRAY-SONS, GRAY-SONS! He suddenly feels kind firm hands upon each shoulder as the announcer calls to the crowd,

"And that, Ladies and Gentlemen was the tremendously daring, FLYING... GRAYSONS!"

They go wild and Dick turns to see his Mother and his Father each with one hand on his shoulder waving out to the crowd. Dick suddenly realises he's doing the same.

Damian feels the butterfly in his ribcage now, covered in the weird powder fluttering against his innards trying desperately not to die, as Damian chokes and splutters as he tries to bring the Butterfly back up but it's in vain as he feels to powders infect his veins as his internal organs eventually smother the butterfly inside of him. He begins to slip out of our reality into a dream like state.

_He opens his eyes in a familiar underground cave. Everything seems to be made out of water as the environment keeps moving, bubbling around him. He feels his mother's hand in his as she is talking to someone being held down by Man Bats. She says something that's burbled and gargled away and then leaves like she always does. He feels his sword in his hand as he approaches a man dressed in dark colours being held down by the man bats. They part their wings to let them through. He looks up at the man dressed in black. He raises his head revealing himself to be Ras Al Ghul. Upon seeing Damian his eyes shrink to tiny slits and he suddenly grows sharp fangs and leaps at Damian's face, plunging him into blackness. He tries to call out, but he can't make a sound. _

_He seems to be falling through the blackness with streaks of white passing him every couple of seconds. The white streaks grow more numerous as he manages to turn to see a huge white vortex hurtling towards him. He braces himself for impact when he realises there is none. He awakens in a huge white building, where men wearing white rush around the halls firing guns at a legion of Batmen, wearing different variations of the iconic costume, as they try to save the building. Bullets, arrows and bodies litter the floor as the place seems to be burning down. Damian hears thunderous footsteps approaching him. He turns to see the Heretic standing behind him, half his body appears to be on fire and he's wielding a The Sword of Sir Gaweyne De Weyne. He pummelles Damian left and right with his fiery hand, the hot hard blows breaking his face up. He's completely powerless to do anything as he can't move his body and then the sword comes down on him lopping his head straight off. _

_His head seems to fall forever as he watches his body leap after him down past the whiteness into the dark. He falls back into the darkness of the cave, his head spinning and turning making him feel nausea as his body still falls after him, trying desperately to get to its head. Damain's head falls calmly into a small satchel bag in the middle of the Batcave, plunged once again into darkness. He hears the voice of Tim Drake saying harsh cruel things to his body. Damian tries to call out again but then realises there's a grenade in his mouth. Tim Drake pulls him out of the bag to reveal Damian's head to his body. Tim continues to spout abuse at the body before pulling the bloody pin from his mouth and a second later, BOOM! _

_This darkness is the worst. He can't feel or see anything, not light or dark or anything. All he knows is that he still has some sort of consciousness in this nebulous space of inertia. Then out of nowhere the space falls away as he rises from some kind of Red Liquid. His body this time seems to be turned to stone in a giant slab of rock. His eyes transfixed upwards as he sees a huge black Batman-esc armour lift him up out of the Liquid. He seems to be on some strange alien world as a huge Doomsday device splutters and explodes behind him as people all around scream and run and die. The Huge dark armour begins to come apart- like black goo- revealing the person inside the suit to be, His Mother, Talia Al Ghul._

"And now you know why you need me, my love. I am the only one who will truly care for you."

He snaps out of the strange dream to see his mother standing over him looking affectionate.

"Yes, Mother, of course. Only you." He replies.

She bends down and kisses his forehead very carefully before having her servants unstrap him from the table he was attached to. He gets to his feet and looks up at his mother.

"The maid will take you to get changed. A Prince must look his best now, mustn't he?"

"Of course, Mother," Damian replies. "A Prince must be fit to rule."

Dick eats his Fruit loops while skimming through his History Text Book. His Mum and Dad enter their small kitchen.

"Great work out there today, champ! You're Mother and I were just saying how we wouldn't be surprised if you where to go solo." His Father says, slapping him on the back.

"Haha! Nah, I couldn't do it without you guys. The Flying Grayson just doesn't have the same ring to it and also then who'd be around to pay off my college loans?"

"Us son. We'll always be here for you." His mother says ruffling his dark hair. "Anyway we're going to bed. See you in the morning, okay? Don't stay up too late studying okay?"

"Sure thing, Mom. Night." He replies receiving a kiss on the cheek from her as they leave to go to their hammocks.

Dick looks back to the book and then realises that there is someone sitting across the table from him. He looks up to see himself in his full Nightwing attire.

"This isn't real. It can't be, you were just in Nandaparbat. Why aren't you doing anything about this?" Nightwing says.

"Whuh? What're you doing? Who are you? How did you get into our tent?" Dick asks frantically standing up from the table and backing off.

"Don't be an idiot, Dick. You know this isn't real. Talia or someone must've had you drugged. You've got to snap out of this damn fantasy!"

"Mom! Dad! Wake up! Call the cops!"

"Don't be an idiot Dick! Fight this! Snap out of it!"

"Listen if you don't leave right now I'll-"Dick begins when Nightwing suddenly swings at him, shouting, "Oh shut up will you!"

Taken by surprise Dick is thrown backwards into a small cupboard in which he falls back into the circus. He sees the tightrope behind him and manages to grab a hold of it. His Father than appears atop the tightrope walking towards him.

"Easy does it, Dickie. Easy does it. I'll have you out of this jam in just a second."

Another voice calls out to him, "I'm coming too Dick! Don't you worry sweetie!"

Dick looks over to see his Mum walking across the other side of the Tightrope. Just as they're starting to get close with Dick beginning to get himself up onto the Tightrope he sees just behind his parents, swing on a Trapeze swinging towards them, Nightwing! He kicks into Dick's Mom and Dad causing them to fall off the rope and to the floor.

"THIS ISN'T REAL DICK!" Nightwing yells as Dick's parents fall to their deaths with Nightwing's trapeze bar's rope suddenly snapping with a loud ear piercing SNAP!

"Ah damn." Nightwing says as he suddenly plummets to the floor also.

Dick manages to climb along the tightrope, down the ladder and along to the dead bodies of his Mother and Father. He tries to hold his Dad's head up, but his neck seems to be snapped.

"Daadd! Moomm!..." He cries out in pain. "Whyyy?!"

"S—shoonn.." He hears faithly coming from his Father.

"Dad! Dad listen to me, don't, don't go you can't, please!"

"I zhee ou oon." He rasps. Dick leans over him, his ear up near his mouth.

"I didn't hear you… say again?" Dick says battling through the tears.

"I'll see you soon!" He says perfectly clearly as Dick suddenly hears four ear piercingly loud BANGS and then searing pain all over his body.

He looks down to see his Father holding a Pistol with blood all across his abdomen.

"—Whuh-why..." Dick chokes.

His Father brings the pistol up to Dick's face and is about to pull the trigger for a 5th time when Dick musters up the strength to wrestle the pistol away from his face causing his Father to fire off into the air. With his Father writhing around Dick has to stop him as he seems to be growing stronger. Dick punches him in the head but still pulls his punch, but his Dad keeps on coming. He punches again harder and again and again and again till he's just pummelling away at his Father's head.

"NOT REAL!" He shouts! "NOT REAL!" His Father's head is becoming a bludgeoned mass of blood on the floor as he seems to have developed a Joker-like smile and laugh as Dick pounds away.

Dick doesn't realise his Mom sneaking behind him carrying a large League of Assassins Sword.

Tim smashes the face in of the evil zombie surgeon as he comes at him with the scalpel, he whirls around and roundhouse kicks two of them into each other. He shoulder barges one down, snapping back into the fray changing opponents left and right, up and down. By the end, his knuckles are raw and bloody as the zombie surgeons and nurses continue to pile up. He's managing to fend them off till he suddenly feels woozy and tired. He realises a syringe is sticking out of his back and he suddenly collapses.

The Zombies crowd around him.

Tim wakes up to find himself strapped to the operating table in the surgery room. A bright light shines in his face as the Zombie surgeons and nurses rush around with equipment. He hears doors swing open and in walks Lord Death Man dressed as a Surgeon.

"HEY! IT'S ME!" He announces. "Lord Death Man! Dressed as a Surgeon! Isn't that crazy right? Woah! #TooTurnt?! Am I right?" He swaggers over to the operating table and pushes Tim's head down onto the table.

"Hello young man. What would you like for Christmas?" He asks in his creepy tones.

"Your head on a platter." Tim says through gritted teeth before spitting at Lord Death Man.

He calmly wipes the saliva off his hard white face with a silk cloth.

"And for that..." he begins holding a sharp scalpel up in the air, the light glinting off the small blade. "... No anaesthesia!"

And with that he plunges the small knife into Tim's stomach, and the long painful surgery begins. Tim howls all the way through.

The Gorilla is incredibly nimble with the knife for, well a Gorilla. Jason dodges the blows left and right before managing to draw his blade from his waist. He manages to lock arms with the Gorilla, pushing against each other, with the Gorilla winning out of brute strength and pushing down upon Jason.

He thinks quick and as the colossal brute is bearing down on his he pushes with all his strength forwards, just a bit allowing him to then barrel roll out of the way causing the Gorilla to land on his face. The crowd road out and pound their chests.

Jason takes advantage of the situation and rushes back to the Gorilla before he has the chance to recover and he punches his head down into the ground certainly causing a concussion as the great big hairy beast to go silent, it's face down in the dirt.

The crowd bellow and pound their chests, growing louder and louder until up high in a balcony made from a giant elephant's skull a huge Gorilla with red tattoos and a large frilly cape steps out from the darkness. He gets to his feet and produces a huge ear piercing roar that silences the entire stadium. All eyes upon their leader, the Big Great Gorilla stick his opposable thumb outside ways, before slowly twisting it downward.

The crowd erupts again as Jason looks down at his knife and the slowly regaining consciousness, Gorilla on the floor.

He looks up at Jason with a look in his face that says, "Do it."

And Jason does.

Talia Al Ghul steps out in front of her loyal subjects wearing a large green cloak, much like the one worn by her Father. They all cheer at the sight of her. Her Assassins watch her from the wings.

"My people; loyal bastards, Sons and Daughters of the Deadly Arts! I am here to bring you the start of a new League. A new day is dawning upon us children and with that, must come a new leader. I, Talia Al Ghul step down from the position of leader of the League of Assassins and present to you, our new leader, Damian Al Ghul!"

Damian steps out wearing a long green cloak much like Talia's. He is dressed in his black and white jumpsuit. He smiles a cruel dark smile as he waves towards the crowds.

Lady Shiva watches from up high in the caverns of the Nandaparbat. Her eyes transfixed on Talia. With her left hand, she is holding herself up on the walls of the cave, in her right is the disembodied head of David Cain.

"Just you wait, Miss. Al Ghul. Everything will be coming down around your ears shortly." She smirks.

Next: The Fateful Conclusion to Legacy Boys.


	6. Chapter 6

**_Robins Issue 6_**

**_Legacy Boys Part 6-Finale_**

**_By James Brady_**

* * *

**London, Heathrow Airport**

Barbara Gordon fiddles with her shell bracelet as she waits in line. She is dressed in a colourful T-shirt, straw hat and dark red sunglasses with jean shorts. She has a small suitcase with Hello Kitty on the side. All over the handle of her bag are tags and stickers of different places around the world; Borneo, Japan, South Africa, England, Norway, India, Australia, New Zeeland, Italy, France, and Uganda. She pulls out her phone and looks at her PicSnaps. She looks at the PicSnap she sent yesterday to Dick of herself in front of the Hawaiian Volcano, Mauna Lao. Underneath it says, _Un-Opened, Sent 2 Days ago 10:02. _She thumbs the refresh button a few times before giving up and putting the phone back in her pocket as she's arrived at the front of the line.

"Hello. How can I help you?" The receptionist asks.

"Yes. I'm here to pick up my tickets for Gotham City Airport. Barbra Gordon, the reservation was made under Wayne Industries."

"Goth-? Gotham City?" The receptionist asks confused.

"Yeah. It's a city on the East Coast."

"I know where it is. It's just... you don't have a return ticket booked."

"Yeah, I know."

"You're going back to Gotham City?"

"Yes. What's the problem here?"

"There's no problem it's just, we very rarely have people return to Gotham City, it's always people leaving. I'm just surprised, is all. I mean it's practically a war zone as I hear it."

"Yeah... I guess you could call me a solider then." She says with a smirk.

She collects her tickets and leaves to get on the plane.

* * *

**Nandapartbat**

Jason feels the warm familiar embrace of the boxing tape around his fingers as he feels his veins almost pop under the pressure, pushing until it hurts and then just a little bit more. He tugs at his now prevalent beard and facial scars, a carpet attacked by a Katana. He hears the literal roars of the crowd from behind the bars of his cage, the hot heavy rays of light from the outside pouring in on him. He stands and feels his joint crack audibly as he stretches. He cracks his knuckles against his fingers. He shakes his arms and legs and steps forward.

The gate lifts and he raises his arms into the air as he walks out, in each hand a large Warrior Cutlass.

They roar and beat their chests. His opponent at the other end of the arena, A Massive Elephant walking on its hind legs with large fingers instead of hooves. The Elephant is decorated in war armour and patterns. Swan Maidens toss petals over him as he lumbers like a ballerina across the arena. He stops in the middle in front of Jason and goes down on one knee and seems to be praying, muttering to himself. Jason looks around at the crowd with a smirk and in a dramatic manner goes down on one knee himself and begins to mutter gibberish. The crowd all begin to roar in laughter at Jason's antics.

The Elephant looks up from his humble prayer to see Jason mimicking him. The Elephant glares at him before respectfully getting to his feet again. Jason gets to his feet and winks at the Elephant politely.

The Grande Majestor of The Gorilla Capital City comes out into his balcony. The crowd goes quiet. He announces the battle commenced. The usual ordeal.

The Elephant strikes at Jason pummelling his massive wrist into the dirt just where Jason was standing. The Elephant turns back to Jason and deftly swipes at him again, the air almost breaking under the pressure of the blow. Jason summersaults over the great beast and lands, his cutlasses now drawn he smirks at the goliath.

CLINK! The shot glasses tinker around room as Jason feels the heavy arm of the Gorilla around his shoulder. The two knock back their Gorilla Ale and laugh some more.

"Ah! Boy!" The Large Fat Gorilla begins. "I remember when you first fell from the heavens. What a day. I thought nothing of you, I had to say. A boy fell from the skies? May as well have him fight! But look at what you grew to be! A fighter! A warrior! You took down that Elephant today like swatting at a fly. You are good my boy. We shall do great things together. We must venture to the other Gorilla Cities and show off your incredible skills, and then the world will know of your name! Jay-Son! The Warrior Prince of Gorilla City."

"Haha! Get off me you old coot. You're too kind Oombah."

"Oombah is never too kind. If I didn't think you were worthy I wouldn't say it, boy. Come we have got a surprise for you."

Oombah leads Jason through the crowds of laughing drunken gorillas to a back room, with magic blue candles lighting the air. Jason sits down on soft lavish pillows.

"Oombah. What is this? What do you wanna show me huh?"

"Y'know how you're so picky about mates and keep telling me you only want human females?"

"Well yes, because where I'm from we don't just-"

"Shhhh she's coming. Haha!"

Oombah ducks out of the room as Jason turns to see a beautiful woman in silk panties and bra with a Hijab that covers her face walk out into the room and begin to dance in a sultry way. She slowly comes towards Jason.

"Um... I feel awkward about this." Jason murmurs.

"Jason. Wake up." She says.

"Huh?"

"WAKE UP!"

The next thing Jason knows a knife is in between his ribs and he looks up to see the beautiful woman shouting at him!

"WAKE UP!"

Tim stumbles through the dark wet jungle holding onto his innards. He struggles to breath and it feels like he's got the worst stitch in the world.

"Stole my # *&amp;ing liver, and my intestine, and my # ^%ing kidney!" Tim grumbles to himself through the pain.

His feet are slipping under the wet mud of the rain forest. Rain pours across his face, he tears at his wound, the pain is becoming too much to handle. The excruciating pain bleeds him. He trips over a turned up root and falls face flat in a pile of mud. He sputters out the sloppy dirt but as he tries to get to his feet, the slippery muck pulls him down again. He tries again but fails. He aches all over, the puss from his wound sticks to his hand like tape. Suddenly, he vomits a gross pale blue concoction all over his arms and onto the mucky ground. He withers in agony till out of the corner of his eye he sees a glimpse of white. Through the drenched green he sees a single white feather float slowly from the ground, resting its dainty frame on a pile of muck. Tim's eyes widen, his stomach turns, and he freezes with fear. It has returned. The angel of death has returned.

The white bird man sits high above the trees looking down on him, his face masked by shadows.

"Please..." Tim croaks. "Don't..."

The Bird Man leaps from the branch and down into the dirt with his immaculate white feathers still seeming un-touched by the mud. He reaches to his waist where a heavy looking sack with dark wet patches around the bottom is attached. He moves silently and cautiously in precocious but still enclosing movements towards his prey. He crouches in front of Tim and reveals the thick sharp talons on his tips of his wings, protruding from his thick ashen feathers. Tim mumbles to himself fearing death.

Beside the huge white assassin swoops down to other humanoid bird people both covered in colourless feathers. They each look down on Tim like the way stars in the night sky from distant galaxies look at us, muddied brutalised teenagers, crying and begging for our lives in the mud.

The Ornithological Assassin prepares to strike the fatal blow when Tim sees just behind the Assassin a patter of something fall into the mud. The Assassin turns upon hearing the noise and looks into the mud of what seems to be seeds. More begin to flood down from the trees and the Assassins become more fascinated. They quickly realise it's some kind of bird seed and start pecking at it with their beaks. Tim begins to try and escape, sliding backwards in the mud when he feels a heavy weight on his back.

"Wake Up!" A powerful woman's voice demands.

"Imma wake am Imma ake!" Tim splutters uncontrollably, the fear still holding him as tight as ever.

"Not awake enough." She mutters before Tim hears the clocking of a pistol and then a split second of a BANG!

Dick feels the sword sticking through his chest piercing his lungs as blood begins to pour from the gaping wound he turns to see his mother holding the sword. Dick attempts to speak to her but the only thing that comes out of his mouth is blood. She kneels down in front of him and reaches for her face. She begins to peel away her skin to reveal herself to be Lady Shiva underneath.

"Wake up Dick."

"Huk! Hkkk-!"

"WAKE UP!"

Dick wakes with a jolt in the thick fog of the caves. He lies on his back as he comes to looking around to see his brother coming too at the same time, Tim, Jason but no Damian.

"What the hell? Why did I just get-?" Tim starts before being cut off by Dick.

"Shhh... I don't wanna talk about it."

"Me neither. Let's just try and figure out how we're getting out of here." Jason says.

"Then follow me." A voice from the darkness says.

They turn to see Lady Shiva walking calmly towards them.

"Here's the plan. They have no idea I've awoken you from these mental trials, they usually take about 3-4 hours before the contestant either dies or survive so we've got about 10 minutes left to pull this off. I've set bombs around the tops of the cave to go off within an half an hour that will crack the roof open and hopefully bury them alive. You need to get Damian out of here before it goes off. I'm going to deal with The League."

"Okay..." Dick says as she walks off into the shadows.

"Alright. Let's go get Damian back." Tim says defiantly.

"'Sigh'... Fine..." Jason says.

* * *

**5 Minutes Later**

The Robins are scaling up the side of the huge rocky mountain towards the golden city of Nandapartbat. They help each other climb working as a team to scale it. The reach the top and shimmy their way around the side of the building towards the edges. They climb into an open window where they're met by a Legion of Ninja Man Bats.

"Ahhh bollocks..." Jason murmurs to himself.

The Robins break into a pretty kick-ass fight scene leaping off the walls and barrelling into the Man Bats, throwing out some sick ass moves, kicks, punches all spinning around the room like out of control helicopter blades.

"Phew... Alright. Next: Find Damian." Dick sights, pushing the last of the Man Bat's off of him.

"I'm sure Devil Mama will have him wrapped up like a Christmas present somewhere." Jason sighs.

"You will be sorely disappointed then." A voice calls to them from the door.

They turn to see Damian dressed in full Assassins Guild attire by the door with The Heretic by his side.

"My mother has other plans than keeping me away from you all." He swings a large katana by his side while The Heretic stands like a statue by his side. "Meet my real brother, The Heretic. I'm sure he'll love meeting you also."

The Heretic suddenly lunges forward and they begin to fight, he comes at Dick who dodges his blows. But Heretic soon gets the best of him and manages to knock him onto his back. Jason then comes out of nowhere, kicking Heretic across the face causing him to fly into the nearby wall. Tim slides under Heretic's legs and upper cuts him right in the face.

"Dick! Handle Damian! You know him better than we do. He'll listen to you!"

Dick rushes to Damian who stands there with his katana at the ready.

"Damian! I know you're all like crazy and evil at the moment, but that doesn't really change anything. You've always been evil and crazy so like c'mon, this place is gonna blow in about an hour. We better get moving and stuff!"

"Die fool!"

Damian lunges at Dick with the Katana slicing away at the wall behind them as Dick doges the blow. He swivels around and takes another crack at Dick this time catching him by the ankle and throwing him onto his back. Dick goes to get up again but finds Damian's sword resting just above his chest in Damian's uncannily steady hands.

"Prepare to die, fool!"

"Eh... it doesn't really ring true, not that convincing. Maybe a bit more valour and spite in your tone would do the trick."

"Hrm... okay how about; Prepare... TO DIE! Think that's more convincing?"

"Eh close enough. Wanna go home and grab some pizza?"

"It's either that or stay here and eat plain stale rice for eternity." Damian reaches out and takes Dick's hand helping him to his feet. "Come, the fools over there might need a hand again my so called Brother. What a lumbering idiot."

"Just like old times, eh?"

"You and me, remember old times very differently."

They run towards the Heretic with Damian throwing one end of a rope to Dick who catches it. They then use their momentum to catch the Heretic up by the heels with the rope and trip him over. The Heretic quickly gets back onto his feet but Dick and Jason both grabbed Damian and as the Heretic gets up, hurls the feisty bastard at Heretic throwing him through the side of the room and down into the court yard.

They land with a loud -SLAM!- causing a huge dust cloud to be thrown into the air. The People of the courtyard all grab their weapons to the ready as they suddenly see Damian fighting The Heretic.

"At ease, my subjects. My Brother was simply crazed for a moment and had to be subdued. I believe he shall be well shortly with help of my Mother's men. Now allow me to return to my duties."

He leaps away from the building and climbs up to the top of the tower. He meets with the rest of The Robins.

"Missed you man." Dick says fist bumping Damian as he returns. "Listen; Shiva helped us get through the Trials and says that she's set up some bombs to go off within about 15 minutes now. We'd better find a way out of here quick."

"Alright. I'll tell the guards you're my prisoners after escaping the trials and head for the hanger bay. Quick, get these cuffs on you."

"Oh... we're going to laugh about this later I assume." Jason says sarcastically.

"Yes. C'mon. Pizza awaits!" Damian announces.

They each put cuffs on their hands and leave for the hanger bay. They walk through a few doors with Damian making excuses to the guards as they go. They eventually reach the hanger where Talia and her most loyal assassins, Alpha, Bronze Tiger, Lord Death Man, Ubu and a dozen Man Bat Ninjas are set.

"Damian. What a surprise to see you here, my loyal son."

"Indeed. I was just taking these foolish prisoners to the Prison. I seem to have gotten somewhat lost."

"Indeed you have. Why take them to the holding pens when we can have them executed right here, right now. They're of no use to us and their death will be a blow to our enemy, your father."

"Of course: an excellent and efficient idea, Mother. I shall have them disposed of at once. Allow me the honour."

"Permission granted my son."

Damian bows and orders the Robins to get to their knees. He puts his sword on Dick's neck and the two wink at each other. Damian raises his sword into the air before quickly whirling around and throwing it at his mother.

"Run!" He shouts as the Robins hurl their cuffs to the ground and run for the nearest jet. Damian turns to face his mother seeing that Ubu has caught the sword mid flight and is now presenting it to her. She picks it up and gestures at The Robins.

"No prisoners." She says calmly.

The assassins then all rush at the Robins but before they can get there Damian leaps in front of them.

"You'll have to kill me mother if you want to harm my ally, my enemy and my acquaintance! You can have Drake but leave the rest alone!"

"My dear Damian. You mean a lot to me... but I can always make another." She then brandishes her sword and begins to attack Damian. Damian doges her blows as the other assassins rush for the jet.

Tim is in the pilot seat figuring out how to operate it when he looks to see the hanger doors are closed.

"Dude! Someone needs to go open the door." Tim says.

"Someone needs to go get Damian! His Mom is gonna kill him!" Jason shouts.

"Meh," Tim says.

"I'm going for Damian!" Dick says. "You guys try and figure out how to get the hanger doors open!" Dick then leaps out of the side of the jet to see the legion of assassins all rushing after them.

"NOPE!" Dick yells before closing the doors as a sword is plunged into the side of the door. Dick backs away.

"ANYONE GOT ANY BETTER IDEAS?!" Dick yells.

"I've got one." They hear a voice come in over the radio on the jet. They look to see Lady Shiva on the video call.

"You boys sit tight and I'll have you out of there in a moment."

They then look to the hanger doors that are now opening.

"Alright, well what about Damian?!"

They look out of the window to see Damian, now with a sword battling his mother when Lord Death Man suddenly leaps onto the front of the jet.

"HEY GUYS! Remember me! Lord Death Man! The really awesome guy?"

"Get. Us. Out. Of. Here." Jason says extremely seriously to Tim.

"Alright, I think I've got it. Hold on!"

Tim pulls a lever and the engines suddenly light up in a blaze of fury as they begin to move for the open doors.

"What about Damian? Dick asks.

"I think he got the message."

They look to see Damian leaping onto the front of the jet and kicking Lord Death Man off in the process. They begin to take off as Damian hands on for dear life. They blast out of the mountain leaving the assassins behind as Damian continues to hang on.

"Start to circulate the mountain and open the doors to let Damian in."Dick says with an eer of concern.

"Way ahead of you." Tim says as he flicks a few switches on the control panel lowering the altitude.

As Damian begins to get to his feet atop the slow moving air craft he looks to see his Mother, Talia Al Ghul stand up on the other side of the plane. She has torn her formal dress off to reveal an armour leather suit underneath. They each brandish their swords and begin to fight.

"You could have been so much more Damian. You could've been our savoir."

"Um... no thanks?"

"You ungrateful little swine!" She yells lunging at him. He doges and allows her to fall. She begins to fall off the side of the jet when Damian reaches down and grabs her.

"Hold on!" He yells. "Mom. You don't have to be like this. If you and Dad would just put aside you differences and-urggh- work together we could... be happy!"

Talia looks up at Damian and is about to reply to him when she looks over to see the mountain crack with a giant explosion taking place with the mountain suddenly falling down into itself. She looks on in anger.

"That... Damian. That is why." She says with an element of venom in her tone. She then reaches up and stabs Damian in the hand with a small pocket knife forcing him to let her go. She falls for a while till her suit suddenly produces leather arm gliders and she floats away into the dust of the destroyed mountain.

Damian sighs in anger before going and getting into the jet.

* * *

**Epilogue**

4 Hours Later

Barbara Gordon gets out of the taxi as it drives off leaving her in the dust. She carries her heavy suit case along with her as she looks up at the familiar old mansion she spent her teenage years in and out of. Good times and bad times all circulating around this dusty old place.

She enters the passcode which opens the gates and doesn't release the security systems on her like she's done before. She walks up the drive way and to the front door. She knocks loudly and waits a moment till Alfred opens the door.

"Alfie!" She shouts before throwing herself at him, holding him tightly. "Oh it's so good to see you again! You haven't changed a bit!"

"You too, Miss. Gordon, and you have changed so much. Is that a streak of black in your hair? Is that a tongue piercing? Is that a tattoo? You're very tanned I must say my dear, however the Gotham weather will soon knock that out of you!"

"Haha! Where are the others?"

"Bruce is away on 'business.'" He says making quotation mark movements with his fingers. "The boys are all watching a movie I believe, but I think they might've fallen asleep as I haven't heard much talking for a while now."

"The boys? All together? Like, hanging out?"

"Indeed. I'm as surprised as you are. I thought they'd be at each other's throats. Try not to disturb them, they've gone through quite the ordeal I'm told."

Barbara walks down the hallway leaving her suitcase in the door way for Alfred to deal with as she walks to the home cinema room. She peeks into the room to see them all sprawled out fast as sleep in their pyjamas in front of the newest Wes Anderson film, with bowls of half eaten popcorn around the room. She smiles as they look so peaceful together.

She slowly goes to close the door.

"All boys club I assume..." She thinks to herself. "Not for long."

* * *

**Next: ROAD TRIP! BARBARA GORDON! MORE NINJAS!**


	7. Chapter 7

Robins Issue 7

Road Trip!

By James Brady

Tim steps out of the changing room, wearing his new leather jacket with red stripes along the seams, he's visibly excited.

"Thoughts?!" He almost squeaks.

"Huh?" Jason says looking up from his phone.

"On the jacket." Tim says, checking himself out in the mirror.

"It's pretty cool. I don't want you muscling in on my look doe..."

"Your look?"

"Leather jacket wearing bad boy."

"Oh cos that's such an original look isn't it?"

"Don't you have enough clothes already?"

"Yeah but I need some for the first day on the job. I wanna make a good first impression, y'know."

"Just get like a business suit. Not something fancy."

"Yeah but I can wear it over my tie and shirt and I wanna come across as young but also respectful and responsible. I want Bruce to know I'm serious about this job."

"Alright. Don't know why I'm here. Are Dick and Damian like busy or something?"

Elsewhere

Dick watches from the roof top as the mid day sun beams down on him. He zooms in on his high tech binoculars as he holds his phone tight to his ear with his shoulder.

"Doing good. She's interested for sho. Try and wrap it up a little bit and then try and reach in for the hand hold." He whispers into the phone.

Through his binoculars he watches as Damian dressed in a suit and tie with mittens and a scarf, sits on a swing set, next to a girl about the same age dressed all in pink with her hair tied up at the back. She is Charlotte Akrham, current ward of the state despite herself being the only heir to the Arkham fortune. They sit away from the rest of the park as kids play and run around the frames.

"-and my father strongly disagrees with the current situation of the benefits system for the homeless."

"Wow. That's really um cool. I guess."

Damian slowly reaches out his hand towards her.

"Good good. Keep it steady." Dick whispers over the phone.

Damian's hand touches hers.

"Good. Wrap em!" Dick whispers.

Damian wraps his fingers around her hand. She looks up at him and smiles.

"Score!" Dick whispers.

They look into each other's eyes for a few seconds before they're interrupted by one if Charlotte's state appointed body guards, a large powerful man.

"Miss Arkham. It's almost 2 o'clock, you're meant to be back for your Violin lesson."

"Oh... sorry, Mr. Wayne, I'll have to get going. It's been a lot of fun spending time with you. I'll look forward to seeing you at school on Monday."

"Oh uh sure. I'll see you then. You know I love violin. I bet I could teach you better than some old lady could."

"Dudedudedudedudedude, waay too eager dial it back a bit." Dick hisses.

"Uh yeah. That'll be nice. Maybe we could play together next weekend?" Charlotte smirks.

"Sure... I mean, if I can find the time." Damian says as he watches Charlotte being escorted to her car. He watches as the car pulls out of the park and way into the city.

Dick gets up from his position on the rooftop when hears an estranged voice call to him.

"Sup bird boy."

Dick turns around to see Barbara Gordon standing before him in her stylish new outfit, purple jacket, clip on cape and Doc Martins.

"Babs!"

Dick gets up and rushes over to hug her. She's slightly taken a back but hugs him back.

"I didn't know you where back! How was the world?"

"Big, to say the least."

"Wow it's just so good to see you again. Hey guess what? Something great had happened!"

"What?"

"We're like all friends and stuff."

"You and who?"

"The Robins! We went on a really depressing and ***ed up adventure and we're kind of friends and stuff."

"Oh right. That's great Dick."

"Yeah and you're uh welcome to join if you'd like."

"Join? Is it like an official team now?"

"I think Damian wants it to be but we're just using it as an excuse to hangout."

"Alright that sounds like fun."

"So do you have some new mission statement as the All New Batgirl, Back in action with her fancy new suit?"

"Uh I dunno. I've been thinking about going back to College over at Burnside but I dunno to be honest."

"Yo. You do you."

"Grayson!" An angry voice echos across the rooftops.

Dick turns to see Damian in his little suit climbing over the ledge of the building.

"What?"

"Are we going or what? The Date is over!"

"Are you not going to say hi?"

"I would but I've forgotten her name. Bat Woman, Bat Lady or something?"

"It's Batgirl." Barbra says. "I see you haven't changed a bit Damian."

"I see you've changed your outfit. You look like a hipster. I don't like it."

"Okay thank you, Damian, be quiet now." Dick says as condescendingly as humanly possible.

"I'm going home." Damian says turning briskly around as he starts to walk away.

"What? You gonna get the bus?"

Damian stops and turns around. "I'm not a savage, Grayson. I'll have Pennyworth bring the car around." He says before leaping down the side of the building.

Dick turns back to Barbara and gives her a "what you gonna do" look. Babs giggles.

"So what're you doing tomorrow?" Barbara asks.

"Oh yeah, that's what my point was. Me and the Robins are friends and tomorrow we're going on a road trip."

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah. We've gotta dump some alien tech at these specific coordinates so the aliens can come along and beam it up. JLA stuff, anyway Bruce wants it done as inconspicuously as possible so we're gonna be taking this crappy little car down to Virginia dumping it, staying the night in some hotel somewhere and the coming back the next day. Tim's been working on the mix tape for a week now."

"Yeah that does sound fun. I could use a good old road trip chill out to get my head back in gear."

"Yeah, Bruce knows we went through quite a lot after our 'run in' with the League of Assassins. I think that's partly the reason he's asked us to do this."

"Alright. I'll be there. Text me the deets yeah?"

"Okay. I'll add you to the group chat-"

Dick is suddenly stopped as he feels the warmth of Barbara's lips as they're pulled into his.

Barbara gets onto the ledge and grabs her grappling hook gun. She swiftly leaps off the ledge and swings off over the city. Dick watches both startled and amazed.

"Uh oh..." Dick whispers to himself...

The Next Day, 7 o'clock in the morning.

Out on the front drive of the Wayne Mansion is a crappy looking Fiat Cinquecento. The Robins all dressed in casual clothes look at it with a look of, 'Really?'

"Really?" Damian grumbles.

"Low profile. Bruce's orders."

"We own a flying Batmobile. Keep that in mind when the central heating stops working."

They all get in the car. Dick and Barbara take the front seats agreeing to alternate turns driving. Tim, Damian and Jason sit in the back. It's a bit cramped.

They set off down the drive way as Tim slips his CD into the machine. Track 1, 'Ain't No Mountain High Enough- Marvin Gaye &amp; Tammi Terrell'. Feel free to stick it on for your reading pleasure.

The drive away from the Mansion and out along the Gotham Bridge. Everyone enthusiastically sings along except for Damian who promptly puts his headphones on.

3 hours later.  
They zoom along the free way at 70 mph. Damian has strapped himself to the roof to get away from the others. Tim and Jason are watching a movie on Tim's IPad both with headphones on. Dick reaches over and turns the music down and turns to Babs sitting next to him, currently reading 'Catcher in the Rye'.

"Babs."

"Huh?" Babs says looking up from her book.

"Uh they're all quiet for the moment and I wanna like ask you something."

"Oh yeah. What's up?"

"Why... why did you kiss me?"

"Yesterday?"

"Yeah. Like I get that you were excited to see me again but like, we haven't been like a thing since that week we went out when I was Robin, and even then we just kinda went out because of how close we were, being Batman's partners." (*See Ivan Krolo's Batman series*)

"Being away and seeing the world made me realise a lot of things. Some of the things I realised shocked me and changed who I was and I realised that I'm probably never going to leave Gotham. It's my home and I feel my life is there. The world is big and expansive but I know that I'll never be that person. I'll never be the big powerful hero on the block, I'll always be that kinda awkward red head who's good at gym class and bad at socialising and I've come to terms with that and I'm happy and I realised just how much you embody about that side of myself and I guess I just wanted to see if you feel the same way."

Dick looks at Babs, as tears begin to well up in his eyes. He sees a hard shoulder and pulls up into it and parks the car.

He looks to Babs and reaches over and hugs her. Babs hugs him back as she feels Dick sobbing slightly against her.

"Babs. I'm sorry, but that has made me so happy. I'm so proud of you, I want to scream. You... I can't put it into words but you're so important to me and... I need someone to hug more than anything right now. I spent a year in London. I lived there and I fought crime and I fell in love. I fell in love with Beryl like I'd never fallen in love with anyone before. Kori and me had a bad break up a while ago and just last week with the League of assassins they tried to mentally break me and it just brought up so much negativity into my lif.-"

Dick is suddenly interrupted as Damian sticks his tiny head down in front of the windshield shouting,

"Grayson! Why have we stopped moving? We'll be late for the drop off and I do not want to disappoint my father. If you don't start that car I-"

Dick grabs the windshield blind and pulls it down, blocking Damian's little rant from them as Dick turns back to Barbara.

"I need you Barbara, more than I need the Titans or the Robins or Bruce."

They sit for a moment in the car holding hands while Damian continues to rant at them.

"Do you want to try it then?"

Dick looks down at Barbara's hand and then up at her bright blue eyes and rosey red cheeks.

"Yes." Dick says as he wipes the tears from the edges of his eyes. "I want to be with you, Barbara."

They kiss before, Dick starts the car again and they drive on.

-  
2 hours later

Barbara is driving now and Dick is looking out the window as the cars go by. Tim and Jason are playing chess on Damian's lap while he sleeps.

"Hey Jason. Quick question." Dick says interrupting the silence.

"Yeah what's up?"

"Remember when you said you'd handle getting rid of that League of Assassins' jet we stole?"

"Uhh... oh yeah. What about it?"

"What actually did you do with it?"

Jason looks over to Tim giving him a look of "IDFK!"  
-

4 days ago

Jason and Tim are flying the jet filled with drunk teenagers over the skies of Dubai as Tim's band attempt to play in the back as they're thrown around the jet. Jason sits in the pilot's seat as Tim takes selfies while flying around the jet.

3 Days ago

Jason and Tim stand atop the jet hitting golf balls off while it flies on auto pilot mode over the Antarctic circle. First to his 20 puffins wins.

2 Days ago

Jason, wearing protective body armour, holds onto the roof of the jet with super strong suction cups while Tim flies it over the seas as fast it can go before he slams his foot on the break causing Jason to fly off at break neck speeds. He braces for impact with the water but because of the speed he's going at he manages to skim the water once, twice, three times. Tim watches from binoculars before he looks down at his tally sheet. On one side it says, Tim and the other Jason. Jason is now in the lead with 3 successful human skims.

Yesterday

Tim and Jason float around the interior of the jet, both pretty stoned from all the hash in the air as the jet slowly orbits the moon.

"Alright... new game..." Jason says as seriously as he can muster.

"Yeah... lay it on me, go!"

"Okay... it's called, who can not to fly the jet into the sun but also who can get the jet closest to... the sun."

Tim smirks at him and nods.

Half an hour later

Tim and Jason are floating before the sun in space suits watching as the jet quickly melts away to nothing.

"I guess that answers that question..." Tim says awkwardly.

Now

Tim looks at Jason awkwardly before Jason looks back to Tim.

"I... sold it to a guy." Jason says.

"A guy?" Dick asks, suspiciously.

"Yeah, like this dude who, uh collects jets."

"Yeah? Collects..."

"Jets that is correct."

"Does he have a name?"

"Oh he didn't tell me. Very secretive and hush hush and stuff."

"So this... guy is rich enough to collect jets but yet is very secretive about his jet collection?"

"Yeah. Total weirdo."

"How much did you make?"

"About..." Jason looks to Tim for answers. Tim signs 1000. "A thousand... million?"

"A thousand? Million?"

"Yea..."

"That's a lot of money."

"Yeah he said it was a rare one so yeah. Pretty rare..."

"Okay. Well good. So what's it like to be a millionaire then Jason?"

"It's uh nice. It's good yeah. Pretty rich."

Tim signs shooting himself with a finger gun to Jason.

"Well I'm guessing you won't be hanging out with us anymore now that you're a millionaire huh?"

"I dunno. Maybe, we'll see."

"Great." Dick says before turns back around.

Tim looks worriedly at Jason and Jason shrugs manically back at him.

An hour later

Damian is sitting in the driver's seat with his arms reaching up to control the car and his feet only just touching the pedals. Dick wakes up from a nap and looks over at Damian sitting next to him.

"Wha? Damian? What?"

"Barbara wanted a nap and I offered to take over."

"And she said yes?"

"No but she was pretty sleepy."

"Alright, get out of the seat I'm taking over."

"What no?"

"Damian. Now!"

"I don't wanna."

"Get out of the bloody driver's seat!"

"Bloody?"

"I've still got England speak floating around my head, now move, yer arse."

"I will once I sort this out."

"What out?"

Damian gestures with his head out of the window towards a large truck carrying about 16 League of Assassins Ninja, being lead by The Heretic as they fire arrows at the car.

"WHAT?!" (X-men theme music)

"Don't worry. I'll deal with it."

"Why didn't you wake me?!"

"I can handle it. Go back to sleep or whatever."

"Damian, out of the seat NOW."

"Okay okay." Damian reaches pushes the window button till it is completely down and starts to climb out of the window.

"Damian! What are you doing? Get back in the car!" Dick shouts as he tries to control the steering wheel.

Damian continues to ignore him as he shimmy's his way along the side of the car.

"Godamnit." Dick says through gritted teeth. "Jason, Tim, Babs wake up!"

They begin to stir as Dick shouts at them.

"What? What is it?" Babs says waking up.

"Look!"

They look to see the Ninja truck next to them as they fire arrows at the car.

"Huh..." Babs says.

Meanwhile

Damian makes his way to the back of the car and reaches over and opens up the boot. He roots around with his right hand while his other holds him onto the car. He pulls out a pair of kittanas and looks at them with a look of "awww yeah... this my ****"

Damian then makes his way onto the top of the car and leaps off to the ninja truck.

"Woah!" Tim says as he watches the tiny bastard leap at the ninja and start kicking their asses.

Tim reaches into the front of the car, grabs out a CD and replaces the old one with it in the CD player. He selects, track one. '_Here Comes the Hotstepper- Yusek_' starts blaring from the speaker as they watch in awe as Damain tears them to pieces.

An hour later

Dick parks the car as they arrive at the coordinates. He gets out followed by the Robins as they carry a small powerful looking cube in a large box into the middle of a field next to a small gas station. In the middle of the field is a short old Mexican guy holding a banjo.

"Ah hello. You must be the delivery boys." He says in a strange other worldly accent.

"I'm a girl..." Babs says.

"Silence humans. Hand it over."

Dick cautiously gives the old guy the cube. He then puts it on the floor and starts playing a nice little tune on the banjo. The Robins all look at him pretty weirded out by the scenario.

As he plays the banjo a rift in space and time opens. The old Mexican guy then picks up the cube climbs into the rift and nods to him as the rift slowly closes.

"..."

"Meh." Damian says. "I'm hungry."

Next: Valentine's Day Special! It's date night!


	8. Chapter 8

**Robins Issue 8**

**"Valentine's Day Special"**

**By James Brady**

* * *

**Unknown Location.**

"No not now!"

"Aww. C'mon lemme open them!"

"No! Nope, no! No peeking."

"Hate surprises. You're such a dick."

"Guilty as charged, alright. We're here..."

He pulls his hands apart, revealing Bab's fluttering eyelashes crouching upon her dark green eyes.

The room is a round circle with a domed see through roof revealing space. They float above Earth with the moon just out of sight. In the middle of the room is an ornately decorated table with two chairs drawn up beside it and their starter, pizza fresh from Italy.

"Oh... my god."

She turns to see Dick in his smart suit smiling back at her.

"I had to pull in a lot of favours to arrange this, c'mon we don't want our dinner getting cold."

She almost giggles out of excitement but keeps it cool.

* * *

**Gotham City**

Music blares from the nearby clubs as the youth of the city sprawl around the streets, dressed to impress for the long night ahead. Tim Drake rolls up in his Lamborghini as Jason Todd gets out of the opposite door. Tim is dressed in a smart dark suit with ray ban sunglasses on and hair #onpoint. Jason's hair is now a very short crew cut with his face slapped by plasters, he wears dark aviators and a form fitting leather jacket. They survey the area and simultaneously fist bump over the hood of the car and start walking towards the New Iceberg Club in front of them.

Tim pulls down his sunglasses to give the security guards a cheeky wink as they let them right in.

"Go right ahead Mister Drake." One of the bouncers says. "Your lady friends are waiting for you."

"Thanks Angelo, I'll be sure to put in a good word with the boss."

Tim swings the door open to reveal the hot glaring lights of the club to Jason, the room is rife with pink love heart motifs just in time for Valentines day. The latest Nicki Manaj chart topper slings through the room as young people get loose on the dance floor while others refresh at the bar or in little booths at the side of the room. Todd glares at Tim who is already grooving as he walks. He shakes a few hangs and accepts a Selfie with a group of young people as they make their way through the club. They walk up a few steps to the booth area and find their dates waiting them.

"OH Tim!" Steph says getting out of her seat and plastering a kiss on Tim cheek, squeezing him tight. "We've been waiting FOR-EVER! What took you so long?"

Stephanie Brown wears a vest shirt with bangles adorning her arms and a new piercing in her nose. Her face is caked with makeup and her eye lashes are on point as her hair flickers around her face like a swarm of extremely thin bees all tied together.

"I was busy babe. We're here now so shhhh, okay." He puts his finger on her lips and turns to Jason as his date gets up to walk over to them. "Jay, meet Kara-El."

She's a tall girl to the point she has to look down for eye contact with most people. She's dressed in a red jacket and blue jeans. Her mouth creases ever so slighting seeing Jason but she retains her uninterested look.

"It's Kara Zor-El actually but yes, hello, Jason. Nice to meet you."

"Hi, Kara." Jason says as they shake hands awkwardly.

"Oh I'm so glad you like her Jason! I met her a few weeks ago in Metropolis and I just knew you and her should tooOOOOoootally meet! You'd be totally cute anyway let's not stand around talking all night, let's sit down and order some drinks, Tim would you mind, thank you Robby!"

They all sit down.

"I know the owner, I'll just call the bar."

"KK Babes." Steph swivels her head like a social owl to Kara and Jason, who is still holding his hand.

"Uh Kara... you're still holding my hand." Jason says.

"Oh I apologise." She says letting go instantly. "I thought that's what humans did, holding hands."

"Um no, well, we haven't even like gone out or kissed yet."

She then leans into kiss him and he moves away.

"Uh no. Not right now." He says.

"Oh, um I'm sorry I'm still not fully accustomed to Earth customs yet. I haven't ever dated anyone before."

"... You're not missing much..."

* * *

**Gotham City Middle School**

The Wayne Limosine pulls up outside of the school, girls dressed in pretty dresses crowd around the entrance waiting for him to arrive, Charlotte stands away from them playing on her phone before she hears the girls chattering amongst themselves saying 'he's here', 'Damian's here!' Alfred pulls the door open and Damian steps out wearing his little suit. He sucks air in through his teeth as the girls call to him,

"Damian!" They call. "Heyy!"

He glances past them to Charollote Akrham, the strange girl that no one really understands. He makes his way up the steps and takes her buy the hand and gives it a slight peck. The other girls chatter and giggle with sounds of disappointment in their voices.

"Miss, Akrham, I'm so glad you could make it." He says cooly.

"Yeah, hi. You look, great."

"I know. Let's step inside, we don't want to get cold now."

They enter the school hall to see some kids dancing in small group and most of them standing around in small clusters, awkwardly clutching their punch as the age appropriated pop music blares over head as the head of ICT changes the tracks on his computer.

"What a state." Damian says. "And they call this a party."

"Do you wanna dance or-?"

"I do not dance."

"Okay... lets just go take a seat then..."

* * *

**High above Jupiter**

The half oval slowly spins through space as the two sit opposite chatting.

"C'mon, guess."

"I dunno. It's big."

"Yes. It is big."

"Umm... c'mon 4th grade science class... what was the point of you if I can't remember the order of the planets!"

"Shall I tell you?"

"No... umm... Okkay... I think it's Jupiter!"

"Correct!"

Dick blows a small party blower and smiles at her.

"Did you have that in your pocket especially for that occasion?"

"I dunno... maybe." He replies slowly pocketing the blower. She grins at him.

Babs is about to say something when there is suddenly an alert on Dick's phone, making loud beeping noises.

"What is that?"

"It says we're under atta-"

Suddenly the dome is thrown over and over again sending Babs and Dick flying around the floating room like ragdolls. The dome manages to retain its balance and manages to set itself up right. Dick gets to his feet and looks out into space. Before him a small group of ships fire at each other over Jupiter. Babs rushes to his side and sees the roaring battle taking place.

"Ah crap." Dick murmurs.

"QUICK LOOK OUT!" Babs pushes Dick to the side as something is hurled at the dome. The glass is broken and the air is temporarily sucked out of the dome before a new glass film heals over it. Dick and Babs feel the oxygen gushing back into their lungs as they help each other to their feet while reaching for their respective weapons, Dick's escrima sticks and Bab's mini batarangs. They turn to see a large mass of radiant orange hair being swung to one side as a beautiful tall young woman dressed in sexually provocative purple armour looks up at them.

"Oh..." Starfire says.

"Oohh..." Dick replies.

"Uh..." Babs mumbles.

Gotham City, The Iceberg Club

"An evil alien robot was you father?" Jason asks over his first drink.

"Adopted father for a while yes, Brainiac." Kara replies smiling at him.

"And did he call himself Brainiac?"

"I think so. Remember this is a translation."

"Alright. Then what?"

"He trained me to hate and kill Kryptonians. That's how I ended up on Earth. Trying to kill Superman."

"Wow."

"He was uh, cool, about it I believe. He helped me out and I realised that Brainiac was crazy and helped him take him down. That's when the Reign happened and I fought in that."

"Really? You were like 15 thought."

"Trained to kill since I was 8 remember."

"Sure. Wow that's a really unbelievably #^%*ed up origin story."

She takes a sip of her drink looking into Jason's eyes. "What about you? What's the secret origin of Jason Todd?"

"Uh well there's no Galactic empire explosion or evil space robot involved in mine so you'll probably be disappointed."

She laughs like bubble wrap.

"It must be really boring then." She says.

"Oh yeah. It's bloody mind numbing." He replies to find himself cracking a smile. "Uh, crappy dead beat parents, I was raised on the streets of Gotham really, had to fight to survive and all that. I met a kid called Dick Grayson who was inspired by Batman when he first started, you met Batman right?"

"On a few occasions. He just stared at me and looked angry."

"That's the guy. Uh so yeah he was inspired by Batman and with him and a few other kids we decided to dress up as Batman and fight some crime. It got nasty when an assassin got involved and I decided to get out while I could. Dick went on to become Robin with Batman. I went back to the streets but I got involved again and Batman decided to start training me as the new Robin. I was Robin for all of a year before a maniac called the Joker beat me to death."

"Omigod. Really?"

"Yeah. I... I kinda try to forget about that night but basically my body was stolen by one of Batman's enemies called Ra's Al Ghul and resurrected. I was trained to kill under them before I broke free with the help of Batman but I like went rogue and became a criminal for a while. Being resurrected sure changed you and... now, I'm not sure what's going on with me..."

"You're okay right?"

"... I don't even know what that word means anymore. Listen I'm sorry I just dumped all this heavy stuff on you. It's not fair of me..."

"No it's fine. I mean, we've got quite a bit in common really."

Jason up at Kara.

"Yeah. We do don't we?"

They look at each other for a few seconds when suddenly Steph rushes over to the table drenched in sweat. She downs the nearest drink and grabs Kara by the arm.

"Dance floor now!"

Kara turns to Jason and he shrugs smirking with a face saying, 'Sure why not!'

Gotham Middle School

Damian sits at the side watching the other kids dance as Charollote sitting beside him. Two older boys walk over to them.

"Hey Damian. What's wrong? Too busy brooding to get up?" One of the older boys says.

"Well... yes I am actually."

"You're such a weirdo Damian. What the heck is wrong with you?"

"Nothing. I don't know. Go away."

"My dad says that you're a freak and your dad is just as weird. I mean no one even knows who your mom is."

"My mother is none of your business, Lachlan."

"Bitch she might be."

"I'm bored you're boring go away."

Lachlan points his middle and index fingers at his eyes and then at Damian's before turning to walk away.

"I'm watchin you man."

"Okay..."

"What a couple of creeps." Charlotte says.

"Huh? Oh right. Yes."

A group of young girls walks over to them. A pretty girl covered in pink steps forward.

"Charlotte, do you wanna come dance with us?"

"Uh okay. Damian is that okay?"

"Yeah, I guess."

"Alright bye."

She gets up and walks away with the girls. Damian sits there for a moment and then gets up. He walks over to a corner of the school hall where no one is looking and begins to climb up the side of a drape. He climbs through a high up window and out onto the roof. He looks over the city and hears the police sirens call from far away and wishes he was out there with his father. He sighs and remembers what he had said 'socialising is important for a young man and how he should diversify his interests and friends.' All things Damian was told unnecessary and wasteful. Does he actually like Charlotte? Do he want to go to a school dance? Does he care about making friends? Should he? It's not what he was born to do...

He hears the screech of tires from below him and looks down off the roof to the street below. Two vans have pulled up in front of the street. The doors open and about 10 men carrying guns wearing face masks step out and rush towards the doors to the school.

"TT" Damian cracks his knuckles.

* * *

**Space**

"Are... you okay?" Dick asks.

"I'm fine, just knocked the wind out of me." She looks at the two of them.

"So you're uh..."

"We're on a date. It's uh Valentine's Day."

"Oh right yeah, Earth's love day."

"Basically."

"Um... I'm happy that you've moved on Dick. I'm glad you're happy."

"Yeah. Uh, I haven't seen you in a while."

"Yeah not since you moved to London."

"Yeah well I guess I'm back now so yeah. This is uh Barbara Gordon, uh Batgirl."

"Hi." Babs says.

"Nice to meet you Barbara. I remember you as Batgirl from a while ago."

"Yeah, uh Starfire right?"

Starfire turns to Dick. "Listen, Dick. I'd better get going back to the fight but... I've had this turning over in my mind since we broke up and I think I need to tell you now."

"Uh okay sure."

"I'm not annoyed that we broke up. I was at first but I've come to realise that's how things work. On Tamaran we choose Life Mates who we stay with forever and it confused me when you said you wanted to break up but I've come to realise that humans aren't like that. Humans have many relationships over the course of their life and the first person they fall in love with isn't necessarily their life mate and I can understand that. You're people celebrate love once a year and my people celebrate love every waking moment. I am happy for you Dick and I hope we can still be... friends despite our past."

"Of course. I'm glad we're cool."

They hug each other.

"I'd better get back to the fight. I'll draw their fire and you guys will want to get out of here."

"Alright." Dick presses a button and a hole opens in the wall. Star Fire steps through and it quickly releases itself as she flies off back to the intergalactic battle.

"Uh Dick." Baba says. "Don't wanna embarrass you but you've got a trouser snake."

Dick looks down and then looks back to Babs.

"No I don't."

"Haha." She giggles.

"So immature Miss Gordon."

She snorts with laughter and he puts her arm around her as they laugh together.

"Alright let's get out of here before we get blown up."She says. "I wanna drive."

"Shotgun!"

* * *

**Gotham City, The Iceberg Club**

Jason Todd starts dancing awkwardly as the music booms above them, Kara attempts to copy him. She smirks at him and he finds himself grinning again. Jason looks over to see Steph and Tim erotically grinding on each other. Jason raises his eyebrows and smiles awkwardly look back at Kara. She copies him and he starts laughing. She starts laughing also and they start breaking out in giggles. They end up having to walk away from the dance floor laughing so much. They return to the booth to stop laughing.

"Ahahaaha. Omigod. Ahaha... XD" Jason stutters.

He turns to look at Kara who is smiling back at him. She does the awkward silly face again and he breaks out laughing.

"Ahaha... I can't remember the last time I laughed like this..."

"I don't think I've ever laughed."

They look at each other and start laughing again.

Hour and a Half later

Tim, Steph, Jason and Kara step out of the club talking amongst each other not paying attention to their surroundings.

"Kara!"

They stop and turn to see Superman with Krypto by his side looking at them.

"I've been calling you for hours. You should've told me where you were going."

"Oh sorry, Superman."

"C'mon, there's a Justice League emergency we need you."

"Okay." She says solemnly. She steps forward when Jason calls to her.

"Hey Kara. Wait up."

She turns to see Jason walking around her. He kisses her on the cheek.

"Call me okay?"

She smiles at him. "I will." She turns back to Superman and they take off in a boom.

Jason turns to Tim who's making 'raise the roof' movements with his hands while Steph plays "Pretty Boy Swag" on her phone.

"Playa!" Tim hollas.

"Oh shut up, Tim." Jason says smiling.

"C'mon Al, said he'd give us a lift."

* * *

**Gotham City Middle School**

Vicky Vale stands in front of a news camera holding the microphone as behind her beaten and bruised criminals are escorted into a school van while worried parents crowd around the Police Exclusion line.

"We're on the scene as just 15 minutes ago a group of criminals invaded the Gotham Middle School dance in an attempt to take the young children hostage to gain ransom money from their parents however their attempts were thrwarted by a mystery assailant."

One of the criminals sees the news camera and bustles toward it.

"IT WAS A LEETLE BOY! A Leetle boy with the power of the DEVIL! Gotham IS CURSED!" The criminal shouts in a strong eastern European accent.

He is dragged back to the van as Vicky steps back in front of the camera slightly shocked.

"Um let's see if we can get a word with one of the children. Oh there goes Damian Wayne, son of Billionaire Philanthropist Bruce Wayne."

They walk toward Damain as he walks down the steps next to Charlotte Arkham.

"Damain Wayne, I know this is probably a bit of a scary moment for you but could we get a word about what you saw in there?" She asks.

"It was probably Batman. I saw some of his moves they were pretty on point I must say. Now if you don't mind I see my car is here." He says calmly into the camera.

Damian is led by a Police Officer toward the car.

"Uh Damian." Charlotte says.

"Yes?"

"Where did you go when the attack happened?"

"I had to go pee pee. Now I must get going. I'll see you for our violin session tomorrow 11:30 sharp."

"Okay." She says.

"Now." He takes her by the hand and kisses her gently.

"Goodnight." He turns and gets into the limo waiting him as she watches him go.

In the limo Damian looks around to see Tim, Jason, Dick and Babs.

"Oh... hello everyone."

"Damian! Haha! That was cute man." Tim says grinning at him.

"Silence. Girls are gross. I don't know why I bothered with that."

"Awww." Dick says pinching Damian's cheeky but his hand being swiftly batted away.

"I'm bored with this romance stuff. Let's go crack some skulls."

"Waay ahead of you." Babs says putting her mask on. They all suit up and minutes later are bounding over the rooftops in search of their next high voltage knuckle palooza.

* * *

**Next Issue: Death, Life and The Ballad Of Shelly May.**


	9. Chapter 9

**Robins **

"**The Ballad of Shelly May" Act 1**

**Issue 9 By James Brady**

* * *

**Now**

**Gotham, Wayne Mansion**

Tim Drake and Damian are playing X-box on the couch while Dick and Babs sit on the floor with their backs against the couch listening to music sharing earphones. Jason is playing crossy road on his phone glancing up every couple of seconds to see the game.

"Y'think this will be her best album?" Dick asks.

"You don't think she's got the longevity to hold it?" Babs asks.

"I mean sure but, I'd say this is probably some of the best stuff I've heard all year. It can't last forever."

"The year is young, I'm sure her next one will be just as good."

Alfred enters the room and rings a small bell in his hands. They eventually look around to see him standing in the door frame.

"Master Bruce has requested you lot suit up and head out to Gotham. Apparently a group of around 20 men and women have suddenly gone mad on some sort of hallucinogenic drug and started attacking people on the West Side. Bruce seems to have been taken captive by their ring leader and I've told him you'll be there in less than 5 minutes. Now... would you be so kind as to, roll out?-as it were?"

The Robins look at each other momentarily before heading for the secret passageway to the Batcave. Damian cracks his knuckles. Tim gells his hair. Babs ties hers back into a pony tail. Jason pulls on his jacket and Dick wraps his hands up in boxing tape. They get onto their respective bikes and roll out not before a cheeky Instagram pic with the crew by Tim.

* * *

**4 Days Ago**

**Gotham, Docks, 6 am-ish.**

The thick musky smell of the Gotham harbour entices the people of the night as the two girls stumble down the side of the alleyway, holding onto each other, they giggle to themselves, holding bottles of alcohol in each hand. They make their way through a back alley and over an old rusty gat towards a small opening between 3 adjoining buildings. A torn up sofa, and some piles of scrap metal and trash cans. Hanging around in the opening is a group of boys all about 16-18 all wearing cheap hoodies and tracksuits. They look over when the two girls enter.

"Hey lookit.. Shelly May and Georgia Springston.." One of the boys says. Some of the boys turn their heads to see her and her friend enter.

"Hey what're you doin back here?" One of the boys asks.

"Nothin, just chillin." Shelly replies. "This your gang, Trey?"

"Yeah. The Kickers or something, we're calling ourselves."

"Sick name, how's your mom?"

"Still pretty ill doctor says she might not pull through innit."

"#*&amp;^ man, I'm sorry. She was a real nice lady."

"I'known, been pretty bummed about it." He lights another blunt.

There is a short silence.

"Hey Shelly." One of the other gang members says. "How's about a freebie?"

"#&amp;^% you, Hayes."

"Alright. What does 15 bucks get me? I assume the whole lot."

"#%$&amp; you. Go #*&amp;^ yourself."

"I'm tired of that. Why don't you do it for me?"

"#%*&amp; you. C'mon, let's go. Hayes had to be a go and be a prick."

"Don't pretend you're all high and mighty cos you refuse one guy. It's your job you little slut."

Shelly stops and turns back.

"# &amp;^ you, %^&amp;*." She snaps. "You think you're better than me? You sell drugs and live on MacDonalds. You're no better than me. You're # &amp;^ing garbage, though. At least I've got respect."

"Shelly." Georgia comes in. "C'mon lets go."

"Alright..." She says turning back to the exit.

"I know where you stay, Shelly May." He says pulling a gun out. "And whenever I want I could just come arou-" CRACK!

Hayes goes flying into the nearest wall as the gang spring to their feet weapons at the ready. In a matter of seconds, swift fists and kicks the gang lie face flat on the floor. Standing over them is a handsome masked man.

"Hey, hope these guys weren't bothering you ladies. Might wanna go find somewhere safe to spend the night, I hear the new, Wayne Youth Foundation few blocks away is pretty safe. In a bit!" He says with a cheerful grin before shooting off a grappling hook into the sky and being lifted away.

Shelly and Georgia look at the crumpled mess that used to be the Kickers before they run off into the night.

They walk a few blocks away from the docks and into the more dangerous areas of the city.

"Who the #^%$ does that guy think he is? Shows up beats the crap out of them and then leaves. Does he have any idea of our situation or anything? I mean those guys were being dicks but does he really think that's okay? Now we can't go back there no more, and they know us! What the heck are we gonna do?" Georgia complains.

"I dunno. What about that Wayne Youth Foundation place? Could be a better place to stay than in that corner again." Shelly says with a shrug.

"Man I'm freezing."

"Here." Shelly pulls a pair of gloves in a small box out of her purse.

"What's this? Oh wow!" She says smiling.

"I was gonna give them you for your Birthday, but this seems like a better opportunity."

"Omigod, Shelly!"

The two stop and Georgia gives Shelly a hug.

"That's so amazing!" She tries them on.

"Omigod! So warm, here."

She takes off the right glove and gives it to Shelly. She shakes her head.

"No no they're yours."

"Oh c'mon. Look, I'll hold your bare hand and you hold mine. That way we can both have warm hands."

Shelly smiles at Georgia. Could she ask for a better friend.

"Yeah alright." She says taking her friends hand.

"Just like in that Christmas play remember?"

"Ahaha! Yeah, us being angles! Hehehe!"

"Soo cute!"

They walk along talking about the Christmas play for a while as they head to the new Wayne Youth Foundation Centre, keeping each other warm. They arrive outside the Youth Centre to find it looking much more high class than they'd expected.

"Oh wow..." She says looking over the large panelling walls and the sliding automatic doors. They look inside to see a group of multiracial kids sitting around on beanie bags reading books, listening to music and talking. They all look clean and well dressed.

"Um... are we sure this is the right place for us. Look at them. I bet some of them go to Gotham Academy."

"Well we'd better try it out."

They walk in, smelling the thick scented perfume as they enter. They look around at the high class utilities presented for the youth. A young kid about 11-12 walks around with a group of men in business suits as he points to the youth and the facilities, talking rather excitedly. A security guard sitting by the doors looks to Shelly and Georgia as they enter and start looking around at the facilities. The guard sees the young kid and the business men approaching and goes for his walkie talkie.

"Mister Wayne, we've got two street girls at the entrance. Should I ask them to leave?"

Damian stops the business men and steps to the side for a second.

"Yes absolutely, don't let the investors see them alright?" He hisses into his headset before returning to talk to the investors.

The security guard gets up and walks to the girls.

"Ahem. Ladies, would you mind vacating the premises. We've got a bit of a situation at the moment and it'd be helpful if you'd mind stepping for the time being."

"What? Why?" Shelly asks slightly offended.

"Just for the moment. I'm asking you nicely."

"That's not really a reason. I don't see why that Top Shop commercial over there is allowed in and we're not!" Shelly argues.

The investors begin to question what's going on at the door as Damian attempts to distract them.

"Get them out of here now!" He spits into his headset.

"Miss!" The secrutiy guard begins. When Shelly interrupts him.

"Yeah! I heard you the first time! We're not good enough!" She shouts before storming out of the centre shortly followed by Georgia.

She struts down the street until Georgia catches up with her.

"Shelly! Chill out alright! We probably won't be allowed back in after that!"

"So we should just allow those rich pricks to walk all over us because of our jobs. I didn't damn choose this!"

"I know. Listen, how about I go back to work, I'll pick up a guy and then we could maybe have some money for a hotel room."

"Are you sure? This is meant to be our night off. Also what'll Tricc say if he finds out we been hooking without his knowledge?"

"He doesn't have to know. We keep this quiet."

"I don't want you getting hurt. At least with Tricc we know we ain't in no danger."

"You tail us and have my back if things get nasty. You got your switch."

"Yeah." Shelly says getting the blade out.

"Alright. Let's go hook." She says with a smirk.

An hour Later

Georgia stands on the corner next to an old abandoned movie theatre with Shelly standing in the alley way watching the people walking past, her switch blade in her pocket. She hears a low rumble from the clouds and feels the first patter of rain begin to come down as it slowly starts getting heavier.

"C'mon. It's a week night. No one is gonna want any, Georgia." Shelly says coming out of the alleyway.

"Yeah. Let's go back to Tricc's place. He'll put us up I guess."

As they start to walk away a dark limo rolls up beside them. The middle window rolls down.

"You ladies working tonight?"

Georgia looks over at Shelly with a smile and then back to the car. "Yes. You lookin' for some sugar, honey?"

"Yes. Get in."

"You mind if my friend comes too? She's kind of my back up, not that I don't trust you, sugar, it's just better being safe than sorry."

"Yes. Of course."

The door opens and the two girls get in. The car begins to drive off as they see their client. A man sitting opposite them in the dark, his face shrouded in shadow but they can see the leather jacket and armoured shirt he wears.

"Now. I'd like to meet your pimp before we get down to business. Could you tell me where he is so I can meet him?"

"Um... I'm actually working independently tonight. Shelly will take you money though."

"No. I want your regular pimp. Now."

"Well I told you mister, I'm independent tonight alright?"

"'sigh'." The dark man reaches to his side and pulls out a large oval object that shines metallic red in the shimmer of light in the limo. Georgia feels Shelly's fingers wrap around her arm as she holds her switch blade at the ready.

BLAM! A loud shot is heard and the girls find themselves sprawled up against the seats, panting as the man now wear the red helmet just shot himself in the helmet.

"Now... you going to tell me where your pimp is?"

"32nd Street, At the Tailsend Theatre." Georgia blurts.

"Thank you." He says. He throws them a wad of cash before turning around.

"Car, 32nd Street Tailsend Theatre, now."

"Directions found. On our way." The automated system replies.

The car pulls over by the side of the road and let's the girls out before driving off. They stare until it pulls around a corner and out of sight.

"What the... # ~^?!" Georgia yells.

"Shhh.." Shelly hisses. "Let's get out of here before someone sees us."

They walk away in silence for block or so before Shelly takes out the money he gave them. A small wad made up mostly of $50's.

"Hm, not bad."

"C'mon let's go find a hotel. We can blow this in the morning on food."

Georgia smiles.

"Alright. Let's go find somewhere swanky."

Shelly turns to the side of the road and quickly waves down a cab. They get in and hand him a $50.

"Could you take us to a hotel please? Maybe somewhere nice and up town. Keep the change."

"You got it." The cabbie replies happily taking the money.

* * *

**The Next Day**

Shelly wakes up in the expensive sheets of the hotel bedroom. She looks over at the other bed to see Georgia still fast asleep. She glances to the alarm clock and sees that it's half 8. She smiles and pulls on the complimentary dressing gown. After a shower she heads on down the hall way to the elevator. She presses the ground floor button but just as the door is about to close she hears-

"Hey! Wait up! Hold up!"

She quickly pressed the hold button keeping the doors from closing. A young man reopens the doors and steps into the elevator also wearing one of the complimentary dressing gowns.

"Thanks for holding the door." He sighs.

"Oh no problem." She says.

"Nice dressing gown." He says.

"Heh... thanks. Looks good on you too."

"Yeah. I prefer the slightly darker maroon actually. This was something I just pulled on."

"Hahaha..."

The elevator stops and the two get out and walk over to the dining room. They each grab a plate and start picking out their breakfast. Shelly goes for a bowl of pop crunches cereal, a toasted bagel and a pomegranate bowl. She arrives at the breakfast ticket counter and hands over her room ticket.

"Oh sorry." The woman behind the counter says. "This is just for a room, not also for a breakfast meal. You'll have to go and get one from the desk, I'm afraid."

"Well can't I just pay you now?"

"Sorry, Hotel policy."

"Um excuse me." She looks over to see the young man approach them again. "I forgot to mention, she's on mine." He pulls a card which Shelly notices has the Wayne Enterprises logo on the back. The chasier looks at it.

"Oh! Sorry about that Miss. There." She presses a button on the machine. The young man signals for her to follow him.

They sit down at his table.

"Thanks for that she says."

"No problem he says. You looked like you could use some company also."

"Yeah my friend is still asleep."

"Friend?"

"Yeah, we just got a room last night."

"You from out of town then?"

"Oh um.. yeah. I live over at Burnside. We just came over to spend the night."

"On a Tuesday night? Out partying in Gotham city."

"We usually work week nights."

"Ah right."

"What about you?"

"I work for Wayne Enterprises so I can stay here basically whenever I want. My apartment got blown up in one of Batman's recent escapades so I've got to stay in the hotel until it's fixed."

"God. What's like the deal with Batman anyway? Batman and all those guys?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well is Batman going to pay for your apartment to be fixed?"

"Well, I mean technically it was one of his villains who did it."

"Well I assume it had something to do with Batman."

"Yeah sorta. I'd rather not get into the details."

"So the villain is going to pay for it, I assume by going to jail. But Batman does have to pay for it, he just gets to go around beating on criminals some more."

"I mean but he's saving lives though."

"You do read the newspaper right? You do like look at the Gotham streets and stuff?"

"Sure."

"Then you know about the statistics that show that every year since Batman's been active the crime rate has gone higher. Just cos he punches people doing crimes doesn't mean that the people's motivation to commit crime decreases. I'm sure there are scenarios where guys like Batman are needed but most of the time it's stuff the police should be handling and I know that the police used to be corrupt but now they're not."

"I don't think the police could handle guys like Clay Face or Killer Croc though."

"But Batman can. So why doesn't he help train the police and give them his weaponry to defeat the bigger threats. The Arkham notes on Batman enemies all detail how they continue to commit crimes to get revenge on Batman. I just don't get why he can't see all these blatantly obvious facts staring him right in the face and how he and his allies are actually damaging the city."

"Wow... that was... impassioned."

"Sorry. I can get ranty sometime."

"No no, it's totally cool. I like people who are passionate. Passion is strength my friend."

She smirks at him. "Sorry, I didn't get your name."

"I'm Tim Drake." He says shaking her hand.

"I'm-." She begins before she's interrupted by,

"Shelly!" Georgia shouts as she rushes past the tables, her dressing gown on and her hair still soak from the shower.

She arrives at their table.

"Listen we gotta go!" She says.

"Why what's up?" Shelly asks.

Georgia looks over at Tim and then back to Shelly.

"Just come over here." She says grabbing Shelly by the arm. "Sorry. We'll just be a minute." Georgia says to Tim.

"Okay." He replies awardly.

Georgia drags her way from the dining tables and to the side of the room. Shelly pulls her arm away from Georgia.

"Alright!" She says. "What is it?"

"I just got a call from Skinner. Tricc was murdered last night."

"Oh my god!" Shelly says. "Why what happened?"

"By a guy wearing a red metal helmet!"

"... Oh god... oh god..." Shelly says holding her forehead.

"Oh m god... So like where does that leave us?"

"Skinner says that he's going to be incharge for the time being but he said he's been contacting by one of those Super criminal guys at the moment."

"Really? Who?"

"Someone called, The Crazy Quilt. Apparently he's got some new drug to keep us girls on also. He sounds like bad news Shelly."

* * *

**Next: Act 2 Commences.**


	10. Chapter 10

**Robins**

"**The Ballad of Shelly May" Act 2**

**Issue 10 By James Brady**

* * *

**Now, Gotham's East End**

Damian sprints across the rooftops as he watches from the streets bellow as men dressed in hoodies and tracksuits with women dressed in skimpy outfits with jackets over them, holding torches, lead pipes and dustbin lids as they charge towards a group of GCPD Officers standing behind Police cars. He thumps across the roof tops towards the action as he hears Tim in his ear piece again.

"Damian! Wrap it up. Alfred's got the coordinates of Bruce's signal."

"Silence Drake, me and Todd will have this handled shortly, Robin out!" He shouts as he leaps from the building and towards the battle. He plunges his boots into the ribcage of a large man as he lands, throwing him to the side. He looks up to see 3 other men and woman rushing towards him. He dodges the strike of a nail riddled baseball bat before leaping up and wrapping his legs around the arm of a woman holding a switch blade. He twists his hips and throws her to the ground. He looks up to see the baseball bat coming at him again. He dodges the strike while pulling his cape off his shoulders. He grabs it in his fists and whirls around before the man can take another crack at him and pulls the cape over his head. He uses the momentum and confusion to push the man into two others standing behind him. He steps back trying to regain his momentarily lost breath when, SCKAT! He feels the slice of a blade across his face, drawing blood and knocking him to the ground. He looks up to see the switchblade carrying woman again coming at him. "Hey! It's just a kid!" He hears shouted from behind him. He looks into her crazed, demented eyes as he feels the blood trickling down his face from his wounded cheek. She laughs uncontrollably, like a static TV, as she lunges towards him, blood on her blade and fear in his eyes.

The blade doesn't touch him as he slowly opens his eyes, finding the pain didn't reach him. He sees a gloved hand tightly woven around her wrist before she's pulled backwards and thrown to the ground.

The same gloved hand then reaches out to pull him up again, but he bats it away.

"I'm fine, Todd."

"Of course, I assume you had some secret 10-steps-ahead plan for, metal blade to the skull."

"Not really in the mood, Todd." He says getting to his feet while rubbing his scarred cheek.

"Let's clean this up." He says pulling his gun out.

He fires off two rounds into the necks of two men racing towards them causing them to fall to the floor. He turns to the cops, still standing behind their squad cars.

"Tranquiliser darts." He calls, showing them the darts in the chamber.

Damian looks up to Jason. "Drake, said they-"

"Hold up." Jason says reaching into his one of the compartments on his belt. He bends down and puts a Hello Kitty Plaster across his face.

"What? Is that a plaster?!" Damian says pulling it off his face and looking at it.

"You don't want that getting infected now." He laughs as Damian glares at him throwing the plaster to the ground.

"Grow up, Todd." He says before firing off a grappling hook to a nearby building, pulling upwards away from the street.

"Ah, c'mon Damian!" He shouts after him.

He attaches the grappling hook to one of his guns and fires it off, pulling him after him.

"It was a joke!"

"Quit it, Todd!" Damian says as he races across the roof tops towards Bruce's location.

* * *

**Days Ago**

**Gotham's Upper East Side**

Shelly and Georgia walk up the steps towards in the abandoned Tailsend Theatre.

"So you get his number?" Georgia asks.

"Who?"

"They guy... you were talking with?" Georgia asks in a playful manner.

"Oh yeah, the upper class guy? No, no... No I didn't." Shelly says shaking her head.

"Why not? He was pretty cute and totally into you."

"What? No we were just chatting you know. Anyway he's all upper class and fancy and stuff, he wouldn't be into me."

"He doesn't know who you are and you were looking like class."

"He probably already got a girlfriend and he wouldn't be interested in seeing to me though. He works for Wayne, freaking, Enterprises and he's like 20!"

"He works at Wayne Enterprises? Well you don't need his number. Just go to the front desk and ask for him."

"Oh like that's going to work..."

"No harm in trying doe..."

"Shut up..." She says smiling at her friend.

They make their way into the theatre and the joking stops as they look to see bullet holes across the walls with splatters of dried blood where the man in the Red helmet had killed Tricc.

"Oh my god..."Shelly exclaims.

"Shhh..." Georgia hisses. "Just be chill okay. They can't know we know anything, alright?"

"Yeah... yeah..." She mutters.

They get to the top of the stairs to see the old prop room, now filled with boxes holding guns and drugs at the sides of the room with a worn down oak table in the middle of the room. Around the table is Tricc's second in command, Briggs, with a group of prostitutes and other gang members standing around the table. Next to Briggs is a man dressed in a massive Technicolor robe with a strange looking helmet on his head. They glance over as Georgia and Shelly enter the room.

"C'mon, girls. You're late, huh?"

"Sorry, Briggs." She says.

"Alright. So we've still got some debts to pay off to Cobblepot and the Black Masks and I don't know exactly how we're gonna do that without some outside, help. The other option is going completely bust and I don't think that's the best option for any of us. So, this is where Mister Dekker comes in." He gestures towards the robed man next to him.

"I go by, Crazy Quilt now." He says coldly.

"C-Crazy Quilt?" Briggs asks slightly confused.

"Yes... do you have a problem with that?"

"No... Of- of course not."

"Now step down, sir."

"Yes. Of course." Briggs steps out of the way, allowing Crazy Quilt to get to the front of the table.

"Now. I will be the new leader of this gang and we're going to start making some new rules around here. Recruitment will be a must. We are going to need numbers and we are going to need, loyalty."

He pulls a small box out of his robes and places it on the table.

"And this will bring it to us."

He flips the latch and reveals a box full of syringes with strange multicoloured liquid inside.

"Some of the purest heroin ever created. Think of it as you think of an oasis in a dessert. This is your salvation. This is what shall keep our clan strong against the tides of Gotham City. This is what will lead us to dominance."

He turns to Briggs.

"Put out your arm my son and be the first of our clan to become strong."

Briggs nervously turns to the other members in the gang.

"Listen, Mister Dekker-"

"Crazy Quilt. I won't warn you again."

"Uh Quilt. I think we should talk about this in person, man. We're not looking for this kind of scene man."

"So you've turned on me?"

"No I just think we should just discuss this in private before we start-"

Suddenly, Briggs is grabbed by his head and is slammed into the table by two men standing behind him. The room seems to leap back in a wave of fear as Shelly catches a glimpse of Technicolor moving lights in the men's eyes. Next to them Crazy Quilt stands looking down at Briggs, as the colours on Quilt's helmet begins to glow a shade of red.

"Your friends, Dwayne and Martinez were more than happy to take my drugs and now they're strong as I'm sure you could tell me. They're strong and loyal and ready to do what is needed. Are you Mister Briggs? Are you ready to do what this gang needs to do to survive?"

Briggs looks across the table to see the pushers and hookers standing looking at him in horror. He stops struggling from Dwayne and Martinez's grasp and sighs.

"Yes... I'm ready." He mumbles with a whiff of angst in his voice.

"Excellent." Quilt's helmet's colours begin to cool back down again and the colours in Martinez and Dwayne's eyes revert to their regular murky tinge.

"One thing, first." He says standing back up again as he looks Quilt in the eyes.

"I'll do this, if you let them decide. If you force loyalty you won't get it. I learnt that myself, man. You let them decide whether they wanna be in this gang, clan, whatever."

Quilt surveys the room, looking over the pushers and hookers standing in shock of what they've just seen. Shelly could kiss Briggs right now.

"I agree." He says to Briggs. He turns to the people of the gang. "Meet back here tomorrow. Then we shall decide your fate."

"Yeah. Same time. I'll text you if anything comes up alright?" Briggs shouts as they leave the theatre room.

Hanna one of the older prostitutes at the age of 30, turns to Georgia and Shelly as they leave the room.

"Hey most of the girls are meeting in the Macy Dees a few blocks up at about 3-ish. We're gonna discuss this # *&amp; alright?"

"Yeah we'll come." Georgia says.

"Peng." Hanna says smiling to them.

Georgia and Shelly walk away from the building together.

"I'm not signing up with that guy." Georgia says after a moment. "He's #^%$ing crack pot."

"Well what's our other option?"

"I dunno. See what the others are dong at 3 in Dees."

"You ever think about... getting out?" Shelly asks.

"Getting out?"

"Yeah."

"Every. Day."

"So... this could be our chance."

"Yours more like."

"Huh?"

"That guy. Hit him up, charm him into getting you a good job or something, girl."

"What so I can be reliant on him then? It's just a substitution for another pimp."

"Not really. He seems nice."

"..."

"It's worth a shot, Shell. Better than this."

"I couldn't leave you behind, Georgia."

"I'll sort myself out Shelly. I always do right?"

"... Alright... I'll hit him up. But it's a long shot right?"

* * *

**An hour later**

**Wayne Tower**

Shelly walks into Wayne Tower in the centre of town in her best clothes and steps towards the main desk in the chrome room with huge silver walls and immaculate people walking around in suits and ties.

"Hi, I'm here to see...uh Tim Drake, young guy, about my age. He works here." She says to the woman at the help desk.

"Tim Drake? Do you have an appointment?"

"Uh no but if you call him, I'm sure he'll remember me."

"Okay." She picks up the phone looking suspiciously at her. "What's your name?"

"Um... Cassandra May. He doesn't know my name though."

The receptionist raises her eyebrow.

"But tell her that I'm the girl from the hotel this morning."

Both eyebrows this time.

"Okay..." She says as she turns to the phone at her ear.

"Yes, hello Mister Drake. Cassandra May is here to see you. She says that she's the girl from the hotel this morning... uhuh... uhuh... alright." She puts the phone down.

"Please take the elevator to your left. He's on floor " She says gesturing with a practiced smile on her face.

"Thanks man! I mean... uh Jenny." She says looking at her name tag.

She walks through a metal detector and is sent into a small elevator. She stands next to three business men in the elevator. She's never smelt so much cologne in her life.

The elevator stops and she gets out at the floor. She makes her way through a long corridor towards a door with the Tim Drake, Executive Manager of Commissions and Investments. She slowly opens the door to see Tim doing upside down sit ups hanging from a metal pole hanging on by his legs while talking on a head set. He looks over to Shelly swings down from the pole.

"I'll call you back in half an hour alright? Thanks." He says pushing a button on the headset and pulling a towel around his shoulders.

"Hey. What's up?" He asks smiling at her.

* * *

**3 hours later**

**East End, Macy Dees.**

17 girls sit around two small tables that a have been pulled together as they all share small bags of friends between each other. Hanna sits the nearest to the table with a group of 5 girls crowded around beside her with most in smaller groups. They girls are all about the same age, late teens to early twenties with some looking slightly younger. Hanna seems to be the oldest person there.

"Alright so, we ain't coming back. I know a guy who works over with Cobblepot's guys and he's pretty sure we can go work for them. Tricc was a good pimp and I liked him but this Crazy Quilt guy is a godamn nut job. If you guys want in we're meeting him tomorrow. Give me a text."

The girls all talk amongst each other. Georgia turns to Shelly.

"I think we should take it."

"I dunno. I'm thinking about getting out of this anyway."

"What?"

"It's just that when I met Tim we had a real connection y'know and I think I'm going to go straight... for him."

"Woah, alright. Chill. This is a big step Shelly."

"I know it's just, I want to take another crack at it. I haven't told him yet but if I can sort myself out and get a proper job and stuff I'm sure I can make it."

"Shelly..." Georgia says looking down to the ground. Her eyes tense.

"And I'm sure you could too Georgia." Shelly says putting her hand on her friends.

"I just wanted to say how proud I am of you." Georgia says looking up at her with tears in the corner of her eyes.

"No c'mon. Don't smudge your liner." Shelly says pulling out a tissue and giving it to her friend.

She puts it over her eyes as the two hug each other. The other girls look over to see them together and leave them alone.

* * *

**4 Hours Later**

Gotham's Upper West Side

Tim and Shelly are sitting in a restaurant having dinner together. Around them are well fed people in high class suits and dresses. Shelly fumbles with the delicate cutlery but Tim doesn't seem to notice or mind.

"So yeah I think me and my band are gonna split up unfortunately."

"Man that's a real shame." Shelly says.

"Yeah. But hey, at least my day job is still going well. Looking to get a promotion sometime soon and stuff. But what about you? I've just been blabbing about myself for like half an hour."

"Oh no it's fine. I found it quiet enlightening."

"Then enlighten me." Tim says as he puts his knife and fork down. "What's the story of Shelly May?"

"The story?"

"Yes. I know barely anything about you. You've kind of just came out of know where and into my life all of a sudden."

"Well there's not much to tell really. Ahaha... well... I'm from Burnside actually. I.. well my family live there and I go to school there and uh yeah."

"School?"

"I mean uh... College. Yeah."

"Ah right. So what're you study?"

"Ergonomics and 19th Centaury Poetry."

"Oh that sounds fascinating. Can you recite any Poetry for me?"

"I wouldn't be much of a Poetry student if I couldn't do that would I?"

She clears her throat and begins.

_Evening by evening_

_Among the brookside rushes,_

_Laura bow'd her head to hear,_

_Lizzie veil'd her blushes:_

_Crouching close together_

_In the cooling weather,_

_With clasping arms and cautioning lips,_

_With tingling cheeks and finger tips._

"_Lie close," Laura said,_

_Pricking up her golden head:_

"_We must not look at goblin men,_

_We must not buy their fruits:_

_Who knows upon what soil they fed_

_Their hungry thirsty roots?"_

"_Come buy," call the goblins_

_Hobbling down the glen._

"_Oh," cried Lizzie, "Laura, Laura,_

_You should not peep at goblin men."_

_Lizzie cover'd up her eyes,_

_Cover'd close lest they should look;_

_Laura rear'd her glossy head,_

_And whisper'd like the restless brook:_

"_Look, Lizzie, look, Lizzie,_

_Down the glen tramp little men._

_One hauls a basket,_

_One bears a plate,_

_One lugs a golden dish_

_Of many pounds weight._

_How fair the vine must grow_

_Whose grapes are so luscious;_

_How warm the wind must blow_

_Through those fruit bushes."_

"_No," said Lizzie, "No, no, no;_

_Their offers should not charm us,_

_Their evil gifts would harm us."_

_She thrust a dimpled finger_

_In each ear, shut eyes and ran:_

_Curious Laura chose to linger_

_Wondering at each merchant man._

_One had a cat's face,_

_One whisk'd a tail,_

_One tramp'd at a rat's pace,_

_One crawl'd like a snail,_

_One like a wombat prowl'd obtuse and furry,_

_One like a ratel tumbled hurry skurry._

_She heard a voice like voice of doves_

_Cooing all together:_

_They sounded kind and full of loves_

_In the pleasant weather."_

She lets out a breath and looks up to see Tim's reaction.

"Wow..." Tim says sitting backwards. "And you learnt that all off by heart?"

"For my class isn't it."

"I'm... impressed. Is uh that what you want to do? Like later in life?"

"Umm... I don't know. Maybe."

Shelly hears a buzzing coming from her pocket and picks it up to see Georgia is calling. She looks at the call for a second before cancelling it.

"Oh feel free to take that."

"No don't worry. It's cool. I'll call her back later."

* * *

**Later**

Tim and Shelly walk out of the restaurant talking together.

"You want a life back to Burnside?"

"Oh no it's fine. My friend is giving me a lift."

"Ah right. Well my car should be around shortly."

Shelly looks over to see a group of boys dressed in hoodies walking towards them.

"Hey you! You # &amp;^ing Slut!" One of the boys calls.

Tim looks around to see them walking towards them. They approach and the leader takes his hoody down to reveal his bruised and blackened face.

"You got the # &amp;^ beaten out of my and my guys you little Whore!"

"Hey!" Tim says getting between them. "You don't have the right, man. Go bother someone else."

"Who are you? Some rich client # *&amp;?"

"We're just on a date alright. Now get lost."

"On a date?! Ahahahaha!"

Shelly steps in.

"Trey come on. Please don't do this."

"She's a godamn prostitute man! Are you blind?! AHAHAHAHA!"

The rest of the gang start to laugh making jokes to each other as Tim turns around to Shelly. He looks her in the eye in surprise. She sees a little something, a tiny spark die out in his eye as he looks at her for whom she really is. Her guts twist inside of her as she looks into his eyes. This bloody gorgeous man... knows.

He snaps back around.

"Listen buddy. Unless you and your penny plundering crew here want more bruises I'd suggest you guys back off and leave Shelly alone. You hear me good?! Beat it."

Trey visibly runs his tongue along the brim of his capped teeth as he looks at the two of them.

"C'mon. Let's go. Think Shelly's gotta finish her date to get paid hahaha."

They turn around and set off down the block. Tim watches till they leave and then watches a little more before slowly turning to Shelly. The car rolls up beside them as Tim looks to her. She tries to explain and he mumbles how it's okay. It doesn't bother him. It's fine. Of course it's okay.

"Tim, I just-"

"Shelly you don't have to make excuses. It's just... I'm going to need some time to think, is all..."

"Yes.. yeah of course."

"I'll see you later." He says as he gets into the car.

It drives off and Shelly takes the long walk back to her hotel.

She sits in her empty room and gets a call from Georgia. This time she answers it.

"So...how'd it go?"

"I... don't know..."

"Why what's wrong? You sound awful."

"I... I'll speak to you about it tomorrow. Just... could you tell Quilt... I'm in."

* * *

**Next Issue: Curtains falls as The Ballad of Shelly May comes to a close.**


End file.
